We spent the last two days being told that Boston had moved into pole position to land the two-time MVP, with a package centered on Jaylen Brown, a young player, and picks going the other way. Ultimately, though, that wasn’t the case, and it wasn’t the offer that Milwaukee ended up turning down.

“The Celtics aggressively pursued Giannis, offering Milwaukee a package featuring 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks, sources tell ESPN,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported via X. “The Bucks seriously negotiated with two finalists in recent weeks: Miami and Boston, which were both on Antetokounmpo’s list of preferred destinations.”

Now, Brad Stevens has some questions that will need answering as he looks to pivot away from a failed trade pursuit that very publicly involved splitting up Boston’s core duo.

The question is, what will those answers look like?

Driving Up The Price

A positive spin on this whole saga could be that Stevens drove the price up for Miami. Sure, they’ve ended up with Giannis, but at what cost? Is a starting lineup of Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell (if he re-signs), Andrew Wiggins, Giannis and Bam Adebayo good enough to contend for a championship next season?

I wouldn’t say so.

So the question then becomes, what assets does Miami have left to continue maneuvering in the trade market?

By adding Brown into the mix, Miami was forced to go deep into its asset pool to get a trade over the line. In doing so, Pat Riley parted with the Heat’s version of Hugo Gonzalez: Kasparas Jakucionis.

“Kasparas Jakucionis was Miami’s version of Boston’s Hugo Gonzalez hang-up. Had been hearing all day the Heat did not want to part with the Illinois product on top of their Herro-Ware-Jacquez-No. 13 structure,” Jake Fischer reported via X. “That’s an All-Star guard, three recent first-round picks still on rookie deals, a second lottery pick in tomorrow’s loaded draft class, plus two more future firsts and a swap... It’s really a sizable haul for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Compared to Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks.”

That’s the silver lining for Boston fans. Even though the Celtics didn’t get their guy, they put enough pressure on the Heat that Riley had to up the offer, in turn, gutting the roster.

In truth, though, that only benefits the Bucks, so that’s not much of a consolation prize for the Celtics, is it?

What Next For Jaylen Brown?

This will be the question on everybody’s lips this morning.

How many times can the Celtics dangle Brown in trade talks before he’s had enough?

What I find interesting is that this was the first time we heard of Brown being open to a trade going down, and potentially getting his own team.

“Given that the Celtics’ offer is contingent on Jaylen Brown’s inclusion — despite a denial that has amused rival executives — there’s an increasing sense that not only is Brown comfortable with the idea of leaving Boston and being traded to Milwaukee, but is hoping to find a resolution over the next 48 hours, league sources said,” Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reported.

Not only have the Celtics missed out on their primary trade target, but they’ve also now got to either try and repair the situation with Brown, or begin looking for deals elsewhere around the NBA.

Could Brown ask out?

It’s not outside the realm of possibility. There’s only so many times you can go through this situation before deciding enough is enough. The fact that Brown finds himself back here after such a stellar season could be enough to tip the scales toward an exit this summer, or at least in the near future.

And what about the Celtics? Are they confident in running things back and making some tweaks on the fringes?

“The Celtics, I think, at the end of the day, have reached the conclusion that they are not good enough, where they were,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said via ‘Get Up’. “They believe, internally, they didn’t lose in the first round to Philly because Jayson Tatum got hurt. They believe they lost because they weren’t good enough. And I think they believe that if they had gotten to the next round against the Knicks, they were not good enough to beat the Knicks. And would not have been good enough to get out of the East to win the Finals.”

Like it or loathe it, Brown is the Celtics’ best trade chip. His trade value is never going to be higher than it is right now. If Stevens wants to make a big swing, it would involve dealing the five-time All-Star.

The way I see it, Brad has a handful of options available to him - which will be contingent on how Brown sees the rest of this summer playing out, too.

Option 1: Find Another Trade This Summer

“They are aggressively looking to make a change,” Windhorst continued, via ‘Get Up’. “I believe that if the Bucks choose the Miami Heat offer, Jaylen Brown will get traded somewhere else. They are going to move on here.”

If this is the path Brad chooses, the question then becomes “trade Brown for who?” Let’s look at a couple of options.

The first option would be turning your attention to Kawhi Leonard. Like Giannis, he’s in the final year of his current contract, so would need to commit to re-signing in Boston. However, Miami had him penciled in as a contingency plan, and Stevens may have a similar idea.

You can adjust the trade however you want, get some extra pieces, swap some draft picks, it doesn’t matter. The crux of the deal would be betting that Kawhi can give Boston a different dimension, while also slotting into a secondary role during this late phase of his career.

Personally, I’m all the way out on this one. Kawhi’s tenure in LA has been nothing short of shambolic, and I’m not looking to bring that type of energy to Boston. Yet, if Brown wants out, Kawhi is arguably one of the best returns you’re going to get, in terms of a star-level name.

Is Trey Murphy and Dejounte Murray a return that alters the Celtics’ outlook moving forward? Or, at least, do Murray and Murphy plug enough gaps that parting with Brown is at least somewhat logical?

Again, I’m not sold. I have a very short list of guys who I would flip Brown for; Murray or Murphy are not on that list. Still, if moving Brown is a goal this summer, for whatever reason, a deal that elevates Tatum to the undisputed top spot of the rotation, while plugging in high-level supporting cast guys behind him, isn’t the worst route to go.

Again, you can tweak this trade idea however you choose. I’m just putting out bare-bones ideas to see what options are out there.

Another option would be revisiting Kevin Durant, while also trying to snag Alperen Sengun away from the Houston Rockets, although that feels like a long shot.

My point here is that Boston still has options if it truly plans on trading Jaylen Brown. Are any of those options as talented as Giannis? Probably not. None of them would be such a logical fit, either. However, that’s the world we’re living in now. A lot will depend on how Brad Stevens envisions the roster by the end of the summer and the type of talent he plans to pursue.

Another note on potentially trading Brown: Kevin O’Connor has also reported that he may not remain with the Celtics beyond this summer.

“I would expect, from my conversations with people around the league, that Boston is going to continue trying to trade Jaylen Brown,” O’Connor said on a live stream. “Giannis was simply Plan A. What is Plan B? I don’t know exactly. I would think that Boston is in on Trey Murphy.”

The question now is whether Boston can find fair value for a player who has consistently been floated in trade rumors. I’d have to assume that this failed move has impacted his market value on some level, even if only marginally.

Option 2: Tie Brown Down For The Long Term

The easiest way to put all of this behind us is for the Celtics to negotiate a contract extension with Brown once he becomes eligible next month. $141 million has a way of helping people forget their gripes.

The thing is, you don’t propose a marriage to save a failing relationship, and that’s exactly what the Celtics would be doing.

I can’t see a world where Brown signs an extension, which won’t kick in until his age-33, and is then playing on another team in a year or so. This would be a legitimate commitment to keep him around long-term.

Think about that. For Brown’s entire tenure in Boston, the messaging has been clear: this is an open relationship, and we reserve the right to see other people. From Anthony Davis and Kawhi to Durant and Giannis, the Celtics have chased their fair share of superstars — all of which saw Brown’s name being dangled along the way.

So, what happens the next time a star comes on the market and the opposing team isn’t interested in taking on Brown’s long-term deal that would pay him north of $70 million per year for the duration of the extension? Do you pivot to floating Tatum?

Doubtful.

Extending Brown now would be doing so for all the wrong reasons. He’s open to leaving. Boston has been open to facilitating that exit under the right circumstances. This is a breakup waiting to happen. All we’re waiting for is to see which side pulls the band-aid off first.

A contract extension is certainly an option for Brad; it’s just not one I think he should use to smooth out how things have gone for Brown.

Option 3: Continue re-tooling and remain patient

Brad has proven to be methodical in his approach. Pushing ahead with the front office’s offseason plans, rounding out the supporting cast, and remaining patient could be the right play.

Brown is still under contract. So, unless he explicitly asks for a trade, Boston can go about their business with Brown’s immediate future set to be with the Celtics. If he comes out of the gates hot, which he probably will now that he has another point to prove, then great; his trade value rises, and the Celtics can re-engage teams closer to the deadline, or next summer.

If Brown struggles to begin the season, the improved rotation is good enough to help paper over those cracks while we wait for him to find his level.

At the end of the day, if Brown is a trade chip for the Celtics, the value play is to continue building up his value while waiting for teams to come to you. Essentially, go fishing for trade partners, and let them take the bait.

And if he’s not on the market, and this whole situation was due to Giannis being an outlier of a target, then any rift that’s been caused can likely be healed by winning and returning to contention.

Either way, refocusing on the task at hand and not doubling down on finding a new trade partner for Brown is potentially the best course of action — at least in the immediate term.

Go out there, find a new starting guard, an upgrade at center and pick another young and exciting rookie in the draft. Worry about what comes after all that when, or if, the time arrives.

The Fall Out

“If you’re Boston, there’s going to be fallout from this. Some hard conversations. For the second time in four years, the Celtics have offered Jaylen Brown, their co-star with Jayson Tatum, in a trade,” Shams Charania said on SportsCenter.

Regardless of what option the Celtics choose to take, the fallout feels inevitable. I’m expecting Brown’s tenure in Boston to wind down shortly. Whether that’s before the season, during the season or next summer, remains a mystery.

However, if I’m Brown, I’ve got the message loud and clear — again.

The Celtics, who have been a picture of stability under Stevens’ tenure so far, are entering some choppy waters. Now might be time to start throwing things overboard to ensure the entire ship doesn’t capsize.

What follows is a transcript of a back-and-forth conversation between Nathan and me.

Adam: Hey Nathan,

This year’s draft class looks super deep. There appears to be a lot of role-playing talent that will hover around the end of the first round, and potentially into the start of the second.

With the Boston Celtics owning the 27th pick, and clear needs at both guard and center, how confident are you that they can find someone capable of eating some playing time from the jump? Or, am I being too optimistic here?

Nathan: So the good news is this 2026 NBA Draft class has experienced talent at the back end of the first round throughout the second primarily because of the impact of NIL on college basketball. Normally, this would be an excellent area of the draft to take a player and either stash them in your G League system, OR stash them overseas to further develop and round out their skill sets.

A lot of those players have chosen to cash in on larger paydays going back to school, or those INT players are actually coming stateside to play college basketball. So this portion of the draft is filled with seniors laden with experience playing in high-leverage college games.

While they may not possess the same developmental runway as guys who are 2-3 years younger than them, they do have some polished traits to lean on that can complement the back end of a rotation in the NBA. This draft class, in general, is loaded with guards and has some forwards/bigs who can complement how Boston wants to play and what the Celtics generally look for in talent. I love asking those who cover their teams what they’re looking for in players, not just position but by skill set, and offering recommendations as to who might be available in specific ranges!

Adam, what do you think the Celtics need out of guards and bigs at the tail end of the bench? What types of players fit Joe Mazz and could catch their attention as far as fighting for a rotation spot? I’m confident I can offer up some great names in the 25-40 range?

Guards

Adam: That is good news!

Let’s do this in two parts! First, they need a guard…

I think the Celtics would need a guard capable of absorbing some playmaking minutes, likely in the non-Tatum minutes. Someone who can take a little PnR creation off of Jaylen Brown’s shoulders, can attack and create off the bounce, and of course, hit a respectable clip from deep.

Nathan: From a lead guard perspective, Boston would likely have to trade up into the Top 20 to feel great about securing that type of player with higher-end talent/upside; however, I do know one particular player that could fill that void in the late first of this draft: Richie Saunders.

Saunders is roughly 6’6” in shoes, has a decent wingspan, is sharp at making decisions on the court, and can flat out shoot it off the catch. He’s an experienced player that’s seen a lot in college, and took on higher usage roles alongside AJ Dybantsa when that BYU team needed a bucket pre-injury. Now he did suffer an ACL injury later in the season, so his immediate availability for the start of the 2026-27 season is in question. But after a “redshirt” stint, he could be exactly what Boston needs more of off the bench.

You can trust him to pass and find the open man, and he relocates incredibly well for open threes. Not to mention, he can actually attack a closeout and make a play off it, which is critical to offensive success in today’s NBA.

Adam: Ok, you’ve got me interested. I think I would pause due to the injury, and not having seen how his recovery is going or what impact it could have on his long-term development. However, when you’re picking this late in the first, taking swings at potential upside for a steal isn’t the worst-case strategy.

My only issue is that upside swings haven’t been Stevens’ strategy so far. He seems to prefer a guy with a higher floor.

One guy who has interested me is Sergio De Larrea - do you have any thoughts on him? His potential to be around at 27?

Nathan: Sergio De Larrea is a fascinating prospect, primarily because he’s one of the few mystery boxes we have from overseas in the class. A lot of the INT crop of players are electing to come spend not one, but even multiple seasons in college due to the NIL impact on the basketball landscape.

So getting a player like De Larrea to add intrigue in the first round is awesome to see for depth purposes. Not many 6’7” ball handlers are available later in the first round, but there are some questions about how dynamic of a scorer De Larrea is with the ball in his hands. Is he shifty enough to consistently break down NBA defenders? Is he a PG at the next level?

Or is he in the mold of Egor Demin, in the sense of a wicked passer, but better in an off-ball context? De Larrea isn’t the shooter of Demin, but he is a smart cutter and off-ball mover who isn’t afraid of contact. I think he’d be a dream type of player to get into Boston’s developmental program and roll the dice with.

All signs indicate him being an option for Boston at 27, but I also find it hard to believe that a team like the Toronto Raptors, for example, wouldn’t take a look at him with No. 19 given that team’s propensity for finding positional size that can also handle the ball.

Centers

Adam: They also need a big man…

I’m of the opinion that defensive versatility is something missing in the big man rotation now. Neemias Queta and Luka Garza are straight-up drop defenders.

Finding someone who can provide optionality on that end, either as a switch-everything, or a broader up-to-touch system, would help give the team an overall curveball.

Mazzulla has also been great at utilizing non-shooting bigs as screening and hand-off hubs, primarily as a weakside x5.

Nathan: As for centers, this player isn’t a true center, but what you are looking for sounds exactly like Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s, who is one of my favorite players in the entire class. He’s about 6’9” in shoes, with a 7’2” wingspan, weighing in at 245 pounds.

Ejiofor is a physical post player who rarely gets backed down on defense, yet possesses the foot speed and lateral mobility to actually go out and guard opposing perimeter players from the three-point line, and even out past that in pressure situations. St. John’s used Zuby in a variety of ways on defense, primarily through switching/trapping and even playing some full-court defense at times.

He’s the type of player who could offer something Boston doesn’t really have from a big standpoint defensively, with some ball-handling chops to complement how the Celtics play on offense. He can catch the ball on a short roll, and redirect traffic as needed. If Ejiofor is able to be screened into a mismatch, he can make opposing defenses play and draw fouls at an incredibly high rate for a player of his archetype.

The shooting is his swing skill, as it is for a lot of prospects entering the league, but there’s been no better developmental system over the last few years than in Boston, so I’m confident they could work with a player who’s shown more willingness to shoot it as his career has gone on.

Adam: You’ve kind of sold me on Zuby Ejiofor to be honest. He sounds like exactly what I would be looking for in trying to plug a gap in the big man rotation. If he can elevate the second-unit’s defense, and operate in the five-out system without being a net negative (screening, hand-offs, etc are perfect) then I think there’s a pathway to some playing time for him next season.

Now, he’s not going to get immediate run. Mazzulla will make him earn it, but a versatile defender down low is a clear need since losing Al Horford last summer. I’d be all in on him if he was available when the Celtics were on the clock.

That swings the question back to you... Do you see him falling into their range?

Nathan: My board has Zuby Ejiofor in a range that’s right there for the Boston Celtics to take advantage of. I do think he comes off the board somewhere in the 20’s, but it’s much easier for the Celtics to maybe move up a few spots vs. trying to go up significantly higher into the teens.

So if this front office is sold on Ejiofor, I do see a pathway that’s realistic to acquiring him in this draft.

Potential for a trade

Nathan: Boston has been known to trade out of the first to acquire future assets. There’s smoke of moving up, but do you think it’s more likely they trade back than forward in this draft? Where are you at with Boston in terms of sticking at 27/40, packaging picks to move up, or trading back to get even more second-round capital?

Adam: I think a lot depends on what else Stevens is looking to do this summer. If he doesn’t see value for a position of need in the draft, then trading his picks could make sense - assuming it’s to strike deals around the league.

Otherwise, I’d assume he pushes ahead with what he’s got or targets a slightly higher pick. I’m kind of leaning toward him being active in the draft due to the Celtics wanting to stay out of the luxury tax this season to cleanse the repeater tax. Adding a young, hopefully impactful rookie - along with a two-way prospect in the 2nd round- should help them do just that.

Wrapping Up

Adam: This about wraps it up, Nathan.

FWIW, I’m super intrigued by De Larrea. BUT, I think you’ve totally sold me on Zuby, and he’s the guy I’m going to root for the team to draft next week. Of course, either De Larrea or Zuby would be fantastic...You just never know what curveballs are going to come your way…

Side note: If you’re not already subscribed to , you should be. They’re the gold standard of draft content. Furthermore, they’re proof that Substack can be successfully built from the ground up. I aspire to reach their level someday. I’m also incredibly grateful to Nathan for his time and willingness to do this!

Cutting through the noise is often a difficult task, especially when it’s hard to tell where these rumors are coming from, and what angle the information is supposed to be supporting.

In today’s episode of The Celtics Chronicle podcast, Tim Shiels and I discussed the frustrations that come with such a public thought process, and the reality of why trading for Giannis could, or could not, make sense, along with reasons for and against trading Jaylen Brown.

Check out the episode on Apple.

Or Spotify.

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We’re closing in on draft day. In all the hustle and bustle of the never-ending stream of Giannis rumors being pumped out in recent days, a little nugget of reporting from Jake Fischer regarding Boston’s desire to trade up in the draft didn’t get the attention it deserved.

So, let’s change that.

“While Boston continues to loom as a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo landing spot, sources say the Celtics are looking to trade up in the first round of next Tuesday’s NBA Draft from their No. 27 pick,” Fischer posted on X on Tuesday.

How high the Celtics want to move up is anybody’s guess. Why they want to move up is also open for debate.

On the one hand, Brad Stevens could be interested in a specific group of players who all project to be off the board by the time Boston is on the clock at 27. On the other hand, a higher draft pick could help sweeten a deal for Giannis, assuming Stevens moves up before draft night.

Either way, a move would be a signal of intent from the front office. Judging what type of signal is where the challenge would come into play.

But what if I told you that there’s a potential sleeper pick who could be a strong fit for the Celtics but is a risk to come off the board around 24? The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves are both reported to have strong interest in Sergio De Larrea out of Spain, per Jake Fischer.

“The Wolves hold a strong interest in selecting the polished international guard with the 28th overall pick next Tuesday, viewing his elite positional size as an ideal long-term fit next to superstar Anthony Edwards,” EuroHoops wrote. “…This strong interest from Minnesota creates a strategic dilemma for the newly crowned champions, who currently own the 24th and 31st selections. To secure the Valladolid native outright, the Knicks may be forced to keep their first pick rather than attempting to trade down or waiting.”

De Larrea has been someone I have focused on in recent days. He’s been a pro since 2022, so he will enter the NBA with four years of pro ball experience under his belt. At 6-foot-6, De Larrea has great size for a point guard, along with a skill set that fits what Boston is currently lacking out of the guard position.

De Larrea is a throwback-style playmaker. He thrives on getting his teammates quality shots, while approaching halfcourt offense with a calm patience that can lull defenses into a false sense of security.

However, in the open court, he’s a penetrator who loves to pressure the rim before kicking out to open shooters on the perimeter, or by finding the big man, either on the roll or around the rim.

What I find really interesting is that right now, De Larrea’s biggest weaknesses could be what helps him fit into a contending team’s system. Ok, that sounds weird. Here me out.

On offense, De Larrea lacks elite-level burst. He’s not beating people with his first step, and he doesn’t have different gears to cycle through. His handle, especially when moving at speed, is questionable. There’s also a significant amount of work to be done on his overall strength, both lower body and core, as with most rookies.

Those issues are why De Larrea could be available at the end of the first round, if not early in the second. Yet, they’re also why he could fit with a team such as Boston. Think about it: as a rookie, sophomore, or even third-year guy, De Larrea’s touches would be limited.

De Larrea would be given plenty of time to work on his weaknesses in Boston. He would slot into a tertiary playmaking role under Joe Mazzulla, who could lean into De Larrea’s instincts as a passer within a .5 framework.

One dribble passes, a straight-line drive leading to a kick-out, spotting cutters or even a simple entry pass — all of these options would be available and having another high-level passer to lean on would elevate the second unit. Then, there’s De Larrea’s feel in the pick-and-roll. He might not have electric speed, but his change of pace, ability to control angles, and feel for when passing pockets are open would help unlock second unit bigs and wings.

In the minutes when De Larrea shared the floor with an explosive big such as Neemias Queta, I could see some serious lob-city vibes, too.

De Larrea is more than just a passer, though. He’s a highly talented shooter. At 20 years old, he has suited up in 68 games across all competitions this season (for Valencia), shooting 38.6% from three-point range and 43.1% from the field, per RealGM.

If his shot can hold as he adjusts to the NBA, positioning him as an off-ball shooting threat with a green light to put the rock on the floor would be an ideal way of maximizing his strengths while hiding his weaknesses.

Close-out hard and De Larrea will beat you off the bounce, draw help and redirect the rock to the open man. Give him space, and he’ll drop threes on your head. Try and split the difference, and suddenly the pick-and-roll game opens up for him to manipulate the situation before making reads that can put opponents on the back foot.

“Scouts frequently praise his masterful pick-and-roll pacing, noting that the young floor general consistently makes the correct decision,” EuroHoops noted.

Overall, De Larrea projects as someone who could slot into the Celtics rotation and provide secondary or tertiary playmaking and ball-handling. He’ll bring connectivity, while also being a viable scoring threat both off the dribble and off the catch. I think he'll surprise people with his off-ball cutting, directional changes and overall feel for the game.

At his size, De Larrea could easily slide between the 1, 2 and 3, giving Mazzulla plenty of optionality when iterating through combinations early in the season.

Now, onto defense…

Where’s the one place you don’t want to put a guy who lacks burst, is limited in terms of overall speed and has questions regarding their strength: the point of attack.

De Larrea doesn’t project as a POA defender at the NBA level. I mean, he wasn’t that guy in Europe, either.

Instead, De Larrea provides defensive value as a helper. His wingspan and overall length make him a disruptive presence in passing lanes, and his basketball IQ ensures that he rotates over at the right moments. He can, however, be prone to gambling when trying to jump the lane, which is something Mazzulla would quickly coach out of him.

Furthermore, the young guard is also a little foul-prone. He averaged two fouls per game in 24-25, and 1.6 per night this past season. Most of those fouls have come when De Larrea is operating at the point of attack and is being forced to try and play at a pace outside his comfort zone. Nevertheless, De Larrea’s foul rate will be another area he’ll need to work on, especially as he won’t get a welcoming whistle as a rookie.

Still, nobody is expecting De Larrea to be an elite shut-down defender. As long as he can play a role, show upside along with a pathway to improvement, and not be someone who is a total liability on the defensive end (such as not being hunted), he will be afforded the opportunity to develop his game and carve out a role within the Celtics’ system.

So, the question now becomes whether Stevens would be willing to move up (slightly) in the draft to acquire De Larrea. After all, we’re talking about a player who was crowned 2025-26 Liga Endesa Best Young Player and the 2024-25 Super Cup MVP. He’s a proven young talent with sizeable upside. Furthermore, he plugs a legitimate gap in the rotation while also offering some much-needed additional playmaking.

Of course, there’s a chance that De Larrea will be available when Boston’s on the clock with the 27th pick. However, if the Celtics do identify him as a genuine target, finding a way to jump ahead of the Knicks at 24 will be their best chance of guaranteeing he’s still on the board.

Now, I’m not saying he is who the Celtics will target. Nor am I saying they should absolutely make him their sole focus. What I am saying is that as far as late first-round prospects go, you could do far worse than a four-year pro that’s already proven himself on the European stage and has significantly more room to grow.

If that means parting with a future 2nd and the 27th pick to move just above the Knicks, I think I would be ok with that.

What I didn’t expect was that Jaylen Brown would once again be the focus of intense trade rumors.

Throughout Brown’s tenure in Boston, he’s been discussed as a make-weight in rumored deals for Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and now, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Let’s be real for a moment. In each of those instances, Brown’s name was being discussed for moves that were widely seen as upgrades for the Celtics. At first, Danny Ainge was dangling Brown’s long-term upside as a top-tier wing in the NBA. Then, it became Brown’s age and the fact that he’d just entered his prime years.

This time, the rationale is that Brown just enjoyed the best season of his career while serving as the Celtics' primary scoring option. His trade value has never, and likely will never, be this high again.

Of course, there’s also the fact that acquiring Giannis would represent a legitimate upgrade for the Celtics — at least on paper. After all, Giannis and Jayson Tatum are both top-5 or top-7 players in the NBA when fully healthy. Brown is in the top-15 range. That’s a sizeable talent jump.

On paper, the fit of Giannis and Tatum makes sense, too. Their pick-and-roll game would be nasty. Giannis’ rim pressure would open up space on the perimeter, and interior screening actions could open up plenty of opportunities for the role players to feast — both off the catch and via cuts.

I get it, though, not everyone is going to be on board with a potential trade that involves Brown heading out the door, especially after the season he just had. So, let’s weigh things up.

Why A Brown Trade Makes Sense

Will Brown be willing to slot back into his previous role next to Jayson Tatum after proving he can spearhead an elite-level NBA offense?

“I’ve done that my whole career. I’ve played alongside Jayson Tatum. Nothing new,” Brown said on Jan. 15 after deferring to Anfernee Simons, who had the hot hand in Boston’s 119-114 win over the Miami Heat.

Does Brown want to continue deferring throughout the remainder of his prime years?

He’s proven he can be the guy.

If the answer is no, then finding a way to get him to a favorable situation, while also bringing in one of the best players in the world, is a win for everyone.

“I felt like I’ve sacrificed over the years in order for us to be a championship-caliber team. And I think now, we’re getting to see that a little bit,” Brown said later in January following a 102-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. “What exactly I was capable of, and what I was sacrificing.”

Of course, only Brown will know the answer to that question.

Outside of potentially appeasing Brown, there’s the obvious argument of maximizing the talent around Tatum. If Giannis is truly the better talent (which he is, even at age 31), then making a move to blow the window of contention wide open for the next two or three years is the right call.

The fact that Boston could acquire Giannis while maintaining financial flexibility heading into the offseason is, in my opinion, their biggest selling point to Giannis. Unlike the Heat, or most other teams around the NBA, Boston wouldn’t need to gut the roster in order to get a trade over the line.

Giannis wants to win.

Now.

A move to the Celtics is arguably his best chance of doing so in the very near future.

Say the Celtics part with Brown + one of the younger guys (Hugo or Scheierman, for example); that still leaves Tatum, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser (unless he’s traded) and Neemias Queta. Brad Stevens will still have the $27.7 million TPE, and the NTMLE (non-taxpayer mid-level exception).

Boston would make the trade and then begin reshaping the roster around its new duo.

Very rarely will a team acquire a player of Giannis’ caliber and still be in a position to compete — unless Nico Harrison convinces more NBA teams to hire him — then you can’t rule anything out.

Then we turn to the on-court aspect of it all. A Giannis and Tatum duo would arguably be the best two-man pairing in the NBA right now. Tatum would get more reps working off the ball, attacking off the catch, cut, or post-up.

Giannis would have elite shooting around him at almost every position. The spacing he would enjoy could bring out the best in him. He would also be walking into a locker room that is solely focused on winning. With a coach who holds everyone accountable, regardless of the name on their jersey.

There’s a sizeable list of reasons for this trade to go ahead. These are just a few of them. However, now it’s time to play devil’s advocate.

Why The Celtics Should Avoid A Giannis Trade

Over the last five years, Giannis has played 62.6% of his minutes at the four. The rest have come at the five. Over that same time span, Tatum has spent 55.6% of his minutes at the four.

If you add Giannis, something has to change.

Do you feel comfortable playing Tatum at the three following his Achilles tear? Do you trust Giannis at the 5 for the majority of his minutes?

Can Tatum — or Giannis — accept being the 1B next to another superstar?

These are some of the most important questions the Celtics must feel capable of answering before signing off on any move for a 31-year-old star who will be due a sizeable contract extension upon arriving at the TD Garden.

Neither of those questions comes with an easy answer. Sure, Boston will stagger Giannis and Tatum’s minutes, just as they do with Tatum and Brown — but what about when they’re sharing the floor together, which is obviously the point of all this?

Furthermore, figuring out whether Tatum or Giannis can operate as that 1B guy is something you learn as the season progresses, not based on what gets said during a preseason discussion.

With Tatum and Brown, you have a proven duo. They’ve won a championship together. They know how to operate as part of the same unit, and they have an understanding on the court. The two of them together have experienced consistent success with the franchise.

Giannis is also older than Brown and coming off a season where he suited up for 36 games.

Oh, and did I mention that outside of jamming the ball through the rim, or bulldozing his way into a layup, Giannis’ scoring arsenal is limited? Sure, he’s been working on his mid-rangers and threes over the years, but at this point, he’s still effectively a single-level scorer — that’s a decently sized challenge to contend with.

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Where I’m Landing On All This

I’m in on a trade for Giannis. At the end of the day, you stack talent where possible. If that means swapping a top-10/top-15 guy for a top-5/top-7 guy, then you do it. The gap in talent is wider at the top than you might think.

You figure out the positional side of things later. Tatum can play the three, four or five. Giannis can play the four or five. There’s optionality there that provides scope for innovation.

There’s also the argument that the Jays have run their natural course together. That Brown’s season was enough to prove he deserves the keys to an offense, which is something the Celtics can’t offer him.

Brown has already removed all traces of the Celtics from his social media presence. Boston has the pieces to get a deal done without tearing things down. And both Mazzulla and Stevens are good enough at their jobs to figure out the other moving parts over the coming months.

When speaking to the media after the Celtics’ season came to an abrupt end, Stevens noted how he would like to see more dunks and rim pressure, and adding Giannis is a surefire way to inject that into the roster.

“I think that the 3-pointer after dunks and free throws, or layups and free throws — if it's not a contested layup by a giant and you're a little guy — an open kickout 3 is a good shot,” Stevens said. “And those are the ones we would like to get….With more options, we can help him and help this team get the best possible looks, and it may very well be a wide open 3, if that's what you're certainly able to generate because you can't get the other stuff.”

Losing Brown would suck. He’s a fan-favorite for a reason. However, the NBA is a business — we hear it all the time — and right now, the hottest commodity on the market is a viable target for the Celtics, so it makes sense that they’re in the mix.

The Potential Downside Of This “Pursuit”

If the Celtics are truly in on a Giannis trade, and Brown is being floated in talks, it may lead to the end of his tenure in Boston, regardless of whether a deal is made.

It’s one thing to float Brown in these types of discussions when he’s an upcoming young wing, or is viewed as an elite second option entering his prime. It’s another to do so after a season where he consistently hovered around the top-5 of MVP voting during the regular season.

You can be the ultimate professional, but at some point, you’ve got to read the room.

This is Tatum’s team.

Brown will always be the name Boston is willing to part ways with when the opportunity for a perceived upgrade arises.

“I have heard Boston is shopping people around a lot right now,” Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor recently said. “That Boston is making calls, Boston is open to trading anybody besides Jayson Tatum.

So, if Stevens has communicated to Brown that he is indeed part of these trade talks, this may be the end of the Jays, one way or another. How that would look sans Giannis is a concern for another day.

Right now, the focus should be on getting this deal over the line. Because the moment Brad picked up that phone (assuming he did), there’s a chance that everything changed.

Baylor Scheierman was selected with the 30th pick in 2024.

Hugo Gonzalez came off the board at No. 28 last summer.

So, there’s reason for us to be somewhat optimistic that Brad can go three-for-three in identifying talent that can provide some sort of impact during their rookie year, while also boasting developmental upside.

Being over here in the UK, keeping up with the draft cycle is difficult. This year was the first time I had full access to March Madness (thank you very much, Disney+). However, with my focus being on the Celtics, I find myself watching those college games as a fan, rather than whipping out the notebook and trying to analyze things.

As such, this is the time of year when I start leaning on the experts. Sure, I’ll do some deep dives here and there, especially once the Celtics have made their pick, but there’s a growing number of talent-evaluating content creators who are deep within the weeds with the draft.

Interestingly, I came across one of those creators earlier this week — a creator I hadn’t encountered before. I’m becoming a big fan of Substack Notes, so when scrolling on there, I saw recommending , who runs the 105 Hoops Substack, and decided to check out his work.

Safe to say, I thought it was excellently done.

A couple of DM messages later, and Lester agreed to help me kick off this year’s draft coverage in style.

What follows is a short Q & A between myself and Lester, focusing on the upcoming draft, potential targets, and the type of talents we think the Celtics should be targeting.

We broke these questions down into two per position.

Guards

Adam: The Celtics are in need of some additional point guard depth this summer. The logical move for them is to explore the free agency and trade markets for an upgrade. However, if they can’t find what they’re looking for, due to fit or price, is there anyone who could be available around the 27th pick that could slot into the rotation and be a ready-made contributor?

Lester: If Boston is looking at guards around 27, I do not think they should be chasing the flashiest name. They need someone who can function in their system, make quick decisions, defend well enough to stay on the floor, and not mess up the spacing.

The name I keep coming back to is Bennett Stirtz.

He may not be the most explosive guard in the class, but he knows how to play. He can shoot it, make reads, play with pace, and keep the ball moving. For Boston, that matters. Mazzulla’s system is not built for a young guard to come in and dominate the ball. You must process fast, move it, and punish mistakes. Stirtz can do that.

Adam: Awesome. Stirtz is a new name for me; I’ll add him to my list of guys to watch, and, time allowing, will try to go deeper on him before the draft. But, for argument’s sake, let’s assume he’s off the board by the time the Celtics are on the clock…Do you have another guy in mind?

Meleek Thomas is another one I would watch. He is more of a scoring guard than a pure point, but he can create off the bounce and give you some real shot-making. The question with him is how quickly he can make simple reads and defend well enough to earn trust.

Adam: Ok, let’s change gears for a minute… During his end-of-season press conference, Brad Stevens hinted at the need for additional rim pressure. Can you think of a guard who could potentially slot into the rotation and fill that need…Either as a consistent drive-and-dish guy, or a reliable interior scorer off the dribble? Ideally, they would need to be at least a two-level scorer to ensure they can fit within Mazzulla’s system.

Lester: If we are talking specifically about Brad Stevens mentioning rim pressure, then Christian Anderson is probably the better fit for that part of the conversation. He brings more burst. He can get into the paint, collapse a defense, and create some drive-and-kick opportunities. That is something Boston could use, especially off the bench.

So, if I am Boston, I look at it like this:

• Bennett Stirtz is the safest guard if you want someone who can be trusted early.

• Christian Anderson is the best rim-pressure choice.

• Meleek Thomas gives you the most scoring upside if he falls.

If the Celtics are trying to find a guard who can help right away, I would lean Stirtz. If they are trying to specifically solve the rim-pressure issue, I would lean Anderson.

Wings

Boston’s wing rotation is both deep and talented. I’m not sold that adding another rookie wing would be the right move, especially as the rookie would face an uphill battle to crack the Celtics rotation.

However, we’ve all cracked jokes about Brad Stevens’ wing factory over the past year, so who knows… With multiple players waiting on the Celtics to make a decision over their team options, things can quickly change.

Adam: Similar to the guard position, the Celtics could need someone who is ready and capable of providing reliable minutes in a pinch. Does anyone come to mind?

Lester: I am not sure a wing should be the priority for Boston unless the value is too good to pass up. And even then, you have two All-NBA players at that position, so you would stunt the growth of a young wing. They already have a lot of bodies on the wing, and for a rookie to crack that rotation, he has to bring something specific. He cannot just be a “good prospect.” He has to either shoot it, defend, process, or bring real positional versatility.

Adam: I agree.

Lester: The names I would look at are Alex Karaban, Joshua Jefferson, & Isaiah Evans

Karaban makes a lot of sense because he knows how to play & he is a name Celtics fan can identify with due to his playing days at UConn. He spaces the floor, cuts, moves the ball, and does not need a lot of touches. That matters on a team like Boston. He is not a lockdown defender, but he is usually in the right spots and understands how to play within structure

Adam: Same sketch as with the guards; let’s assume Karaban is off the table. Is there another name that stands out to you as a potentially good fit on the wing, assuming Boston makes a tough call with Jordan Walsh or Ron Harper Jr.

Lester: Joshua Jefferson might be the best connector forward in that range. He is strong, physical, can pass, rebound, defend multiple spots, and play a low-maintenance role. He may not be a true 3-and-D wing, but he gives Boston some of the glue stuff that wins games.

Adam: As with most coaches, defense is the quickest way to earn playing time under Joe Mazzulla. Yet, a one-dimensional defender would struggle to command a consistent role in the rotation - which is why I think Jordan Walsh was in and out of the lineup last season. Are there any prototypical 3-and-D wings that could be hovering around Boston’s 27th pick range, and if so, would they need some developmental time in Maine or be good to go?

Lester: Isaiah Evans is probably the better 3-and-D upside swing. He has size, shot-making, and length. I would not say he is fully ready defensively on day one, but the tools are there.

Adam: So, if for some reason the Celtics found themselves selecting a wing on draft night, what order would you put these guys in?

Lester: If Boston wants someone who could give minutes in a pinch, I would look at Karaban or Jefferson.

If they want more of a 3-and-D upside play, I would look at Evans.

But I would not force a wing at 27. The player would have to clearly be the best value on the board.

Bigs

Adam: In an ideal world, Morez Johnson Jr would fall to 27, and the Celtics would have a no-brainer draft pick. We don’t live in an ideal world, though. I think the center rotation is among the biggest needs for the Celtics to address this summer, and while I doubt they find an upgrade over Neemias Queta this late in the draft.

I do wonder whether they can stumble across a viable big to soak up some playing time behind Luka Garza as a 3-string guy with a view to them developing into a key rotation member down the line...Who do you think could be in that range?

Lester: This is where I think Boston needs to pay real attention.

Morez Johnson falling to 27 feels unlikely because his game checks too many boxes NBA teams value: motor, physicality, rebounding, defensive versatility, and a body ready to compete early.

For Boston, he makes a lot of sense — he gives them frontcourt toughness, mobile defense, rim pressure as a finisher, and the type of dirty-work impact that fits winning basketball. But if the Celtics are serious about him, they cannot wait at 27; they would have to trade up and get him.

Adam: Figures. I certainly have him listed as my dream draft target, rather than as someone I think the Celtics could actually have a shot at landing if they stood pat at 27.

Anyway…

Since the moment the Celtics’ season ended, I’ve consistently been discussing the need for defensive optionality at the 5. Currently, the Celtics have a duo of drop bigs. Both can play up-to-touch a little, and Garza can hedge and recover if needed.

However, neither possesses the mobility to operate in a true switch 1-through-5 system, nor to play at the level for consistent stretches of games.

Is there someone else who could specifically plug that gap in the rotation?

Lester: Zuby Ejiofor is one of my favorite fits for them. He may not have perfect size for a full-time NBA 5, but he plays hard, rebounds, protects the rim, and has enough mobility to give Boston more defensive options.

He is not just a drop big. He can move his feet, play with force, and cover ground.

Adam: I also know there’s some solid size in this draft. If Mazzulla and Stevens are sold on having more traditional-style bigs, albeit with some interesting skill set variations, who do you think would fit the mold while also being available when the Celtics are on the clock?

Lester: Tarris Reed Jr. is probably the safer traditional center option. Another UConn player that fans can identify with. He gives you size, physicality, screening, rebounding, and some rim protection. I do not see him as a true switch big, but as a third center who can develop behind the rotation, he makes sense.

Also, Henri Veesaar could give them a different look. He has size, touch, and some skill. He is not the same type of defensive-mobility answer, but he is interesting as a developmental frontcourt piece.

The biggest thing for me is this: Boston does not just need another big body. They need defensive optionality. They already have drop bigs. What they need is someone who can play higher, move laterally, switch in spots, protect the rim, and control angles. That is what they lost with Al Horford. It was not just the shooting. It was the defensive IQ, positioning, communication, and ability to keep the defense connected.

Adam: Great minds, man. Great minds.

I’m right there with you on that train of thought!

But let me ask you this: it seems we’re both of the big-man-via-draft mindset for Boston; do you have any sleeper picks?

Lester: Luigi Suigo — Suigo is a worthwhile swing at 27 because the size, touch, passing flashes, and shooting upside are hard to find that late. But for Boston specifically, the question is whether they want a developmental ceiling play or a more ready defensive big.

If the Celtics need immediate playoff rotation help, Suigo may be too raw. If they are willing to invest a year or two, he has the tools to become a valuable modern center.

Adam: How would you list these picks in order of priority for the Celtics?

Lester: Zuby Ejiofor is the most realistic big I would target in that range.

DREAM PICK: Morez Johnson — motor, physicality, rebounding, defensive versatility, and a body ready to compete early

DARK HORSE: Luigi Suigo — long-term frontcourt investment, rather than a day-one rotation big.

Zooming Out

Adam: Ok, let’s zoom back out now. We’ve got a bunch of names here — some of which I need to do my homework on — but I’m intrigued to know how you would position these guys if you were putting together a big board of Boston’s targets on draft night.

Lester: If I had to build a Boston board around pick 27, it would look like this:

1. Bennett Stirtz — safest guard fit

2. Christian Anderson — best rim-pressure guard

3. Zuby Ejiofor — best realistic mobile big fit

4. Tarris Reed Jr. — safest traditional center depth

5. Alex Karaban — safest wing fit

6. Joshua Jefferson — best connector wing/forward

…For Boston, I would not draft just for need. But if the right player is there, they can address a real hole.

If they want trust and maturity, go Stirtz or Karaban.

If they want rim pressure, go Anderson.

If they want frontcourt defense and mobility, go Zuby.

That is where I would be looking.

Wrapping up

I’m really grateful to Lester for sharing his time with me, and helping me get the first installment of draft coverage off the ground. He’s clearly putting in the work when evaluating talent, and I’m sure that by this time next year his Substack will be flying, and I’ll have a hard time nailing him down to do this again.

If you’re into draft content, Lester is worth the subscription.

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Now, I turn this over to you — who do you like in Boston’s range of the draft? Has Lester piqued your interest with a new name?

Let me know in the comments!

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On Sunday, I put out a quick call for questions to help kick off this week in the best way possible.

I always look forward to doing this type of post, as I never know what questions are going to get thrown my way, and it also gives me a feel for where people’s heads are at as we slowly edge towards the official end of the NBA season.

So, let’s jump in!

📬 Kenneth Paul asks: After the all-NBA teams were announced, I was surprised not to see more grumbling from Brown and others about the “waivers” that allowed Doncic and Cunningham to qualify. Was that lawyerly exception always a part of the 65-game rule, and were there any applicants last year?

📢 I’m not 100% on this, but I’m fairly confident that Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham were the first players to receive an exemption since the 65-game rule was implemented. My bigger gripe is what good is the 65-game rule if a precedent has now been set for subverting ineligibility?

Granted, both Doncic and Cunningham had fair arguments as to why they should be included on people’s ballots, yet the door has now been opened for the rules to be “bent” in the coming years. We’re probably going to see one or two names receive an exemption moving forward.

Either you want the 65-game rule, or you don’t. I think it’s a flawed system, and there need to be some tweaks that potentially take context into account, or are built around multiple qualifiers.

📬 Chris Figee asks: I understood from one of your videos that it’s actually attractive for the Celtics to stay under the luxury tax next year as that gives them a lot more room the year after that. Given that free agency group is not overwhelming..shouldn’t we all expect Brad to keep the core intact and make changes around the edges, pursue organic development and use the trade exceptions and not much more ?

📢 I would assume this is from the interview I did with of Third Apron.

“ So what I'm keeping an eye on is, I think they're gonna have to try to make these moves now. And I think, I recall Brad Stevens kinda alluding, ‘We need to get better.’ I don't think he said anything that ‘we're trying to be in a holding pattern.’

They wouldn't be able to actually go that deep into the tax next year if they wait to do these moves next year,” Yossi said. “So that's the challenge. And so you might be thinking, 'Oh, they're mostly running back.' I think they're probably going to be very motivated during this offseason at the trade deadline to make some moves, to make their moves now to get them ready for the following season.”

The attractiveness comes from resetting the repeater tax. Boston would remove the higher-price penalties that come with being subject to the repeater tax, effectively making it cheaper to go into the first or second apron from 2027-28 onward.

In order to do that, Brad Stevens would need to keep the Celtics out of the luxury tax next season — or at least have the team under it by the time that season comes to an end.

However, that doesn’t mean the Celtics won’t seek out upgrades. In fact, using the NTMLE (non-taxpayer mid-level exception) and/or the Anfernee Simons TPE would hard cap the Celtics at the first apron, thus making it somewhat easier to stay under the luxury tax threshold.

In terms of keeping the core intact, I don’t think it’s a necessity to avoid the repeater, but I do think that’s the most likely outcome. It’s going to be very difficult finding an upgrade over Jaylen Brown or Derrick White (I see Jayson Tatum as untouchable). Does that mean there’s no chance of a big swing happening? I don’t think so.

Stevens has proven he’s not afraid to make the tough calls when an opportunity to get better arises — see Marcus Smart being packaged as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Still, the most likely outcome, from where I’m sitting, would be to add a guard in free agency (it’s a decent FA class at the top end) and then either trade for, or draft, a big man, depending on the level of internal confidence surrounding Neemias Queta as the starting five.

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📬 Michael Ouyang asks: One of the things we were missing this season for the first time in a while was a guard that could reasonably match up 1-5, this was a staple of our teams since Smart, then Jrue, and I think that aspect of the defense was a big part of why the Cs were so tough. This season without that element, it seems like it became one of the many flaws in the roster when the playoffs came. Do you think that’s a necessary component to a guard for this Celtics revamp?

📢 There are very few NBA players that are genuinely switchable 1-through-5 on defense. Even fewer of those guys are guards. Having one of those guards on your roster immediately provides versatility and optionality within a defensive system, which of course can be advantageous.

However, if you have multiple defensively versatile wings, along with above league-average defenders at the guard position, you can get by. Look at the New York Knicks this season. Their defense is primarily coming from OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, with Josh Hart splitting his time between the two and three. They’ve leaned on their size at the wing positions to help cover what they’re giving up when Jalen Brunson is on the floor.

There are multiple ways to build a championship-level defense. I view a switchable, defensive-specialist type guard as more of a ceiling raiser than the floor for what constitutes a championship team.

Take Jrue Holiday for example. He raised the ceiling of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Celtics, getting them over the hump to win a championship. Without him, both teams were still contenders; with him, their ceiling rose high enough that there was a larger margin of error.

If we’re talking about potentially locating another Holiday or Smart, then Dyson Daniels should be the priority. The problem is, I don’t see a world where the Atlanta Hawks are parting with him, especially after the impact he had for them last season.

We’re probably undervaluing Derrick White here, too. While he’s not a truly switchable guard, he’s still one of the better defenders at his position. The key to resurfacing that defensive intensity will be repositioning his offensive role closer to the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons than the increased role he had this past one.

So, to answer your question, I wouldn’t say its necessary to have a Jrue-type guard, primarily because they’re so rare — but it sure does help.

📬 Mo asks: What’s your take on why Joe Mazzulla‘s coaching seems to be so much more effective in the regular season than the playoffs, we’ve seen it happen now for a couple years running where the team kind of, I don’t know how to save this without sounding more critical about it than I really am, but doesn’t perform like it should under pressure. We can also see that he’s changing his coaching style somewhat when the playoffs start, is that the problem? Like, we all knew that this team wasn’t a true championship contender this year, but they should’ve been able to put away the 76ers, just like last year they should’ve been able to be more competitive against the Knicks.

📢 It’s a good question, and a hard one to answer.

In both the New York Knicks series last season and the Philadelphia 76ers series this past season, the Celtics had multiple ice-cold shooting nights from deep. For a team that’s built around winning the math game, those shot variance games can be brutal, especially when there’s a handful of them in quick succession.

However…

Even with shot variance, the Celtics attack and score at a high enough clip to keep the numbers steady over a multi-game sample size.

Even in terms of conversion rate, the Celtics hold up once the playoffs begin. There’s a slight dip in 3-point success, but nothing big enough to be a cause for concern. Across the board, they’re a picture of consistency.

The same can be said for their defensive field goal percentage (the opposing teams’ shot conversion rate).

So, I don’t think this is a numbers problem. To me, everything starts with an inability to win on their home court. Dropping three home games in a series is borderline criminal.

Against the Knicks, Boston dropped both of its home games to start the series.

Expecting a team to win a championship when they can’t defend home court is akin to banking on winning the lottery without buying a ticket. You need one to stand a chance of the other.

Then we get to Joe Mazzulla. I think he’s been outcoached in his last two playoff series. Nick Nurse certainly had his number. It’s not that the Celtics didn’t make adjustments; it’s that Nurse was ready for them and had answers. The same can be said about Thibodeau — although when your best player goes down with a torn Achilles, winning playoff games does inevitably get harder.

There are plenty of valid excuses as to why the Celtics have fallen short these past two seasons. Porzingis not being fully healthy, Tatum’s injury, a re-tooling year, the list goes on.

We can also point to Mazzulla’s system and only having one clear-cut approach. There has to be an alternative when the threes aren’t falling. Furthermore, that alternative has to be more than just going away from perimeter-based actions into drive and kick that ultimately result in a three or attacking a closeout.

Brad said it best: “We’d all like to see more dunks.”

Ultimately, I think there’s been an amalgamation of minor issues that have led to the past two playoff exits (with Tatum’s injury being a major one, of course). Boston needs to add more optionality to its rotation on both sides of the floor. Some of that will naturally come via internal development; the rest has to come via free agency and the trade market.

Even then, unless Mazzulla is willing to make some adjustments, that optionality won’t matter. At some point, you have to evolve, and that is the crossroads I envision the Celtics facing this summer.

Today, we’re going to be looking at potential big man targets with the TPE.

However, before we dive in, let’s recap some key information.

Celtics Anfernee Simons TPE = $27.6 million. This is the TPE we will be focusing on throughout this mini-series. It’s also worth noting that teams cannot aggregate salaries on top of a TPE.

So, for example, if Boston had a $20 million TPE and wanted a player who earns $25 million next season, they could not strike a deal involving the TPE and a player for salary matching. Any incoming player’s contract must fit inside the TPE in order for the trade to be legal.

That said, the Celtics could send guys out to reduce the amount of the TPE being used. Going back to the $20 million TPE example, the Celtics could send out Hauser’s $10.8 million salary and then use $9.2 million of the TPE to facilitate the trade.

Now that we’ve covered that, let’s dive in.

Naz Reid

2026-27 salary: $23.2 million. Contract details: five years, $125 million, final year is a player option. Three guaranteed years remaining.

For the past three years, Naz Reid has been a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate, winning the award in 2024, finishing in the top-5 in 2025 and top-4 this past season. He’s earned the opportunity to step into a starting role outside of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Reid feels like the ideal fit for the retooling Celtics. He’s 26, so he fits perfectly with the timeline. He’s athletic, can run the floor, defend the rim, deter shots, set screens, operate above the rim and most importantly, can knock down threes on decent volume.

There’s a lot to like about the idea of Reid in Boston. He solves a ton of issues with the big man rotation. Reid isn’t a truly switchable five, but you can have him play up-to-touch, operating at the level of the screen, ready to hedge, show and recover, or contain the ball-handler. He’s smart, knows when to tag, when to rotate and when to stay home. And, he can play a standard drop coverage with solid mobility.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how Boston could pry him out of Minnesota. The Timberwolves aren’t going to hand over the best bench big in the NBA for no reason. Worse still, the Celtics don’t have what the Timberwolves need this summer.

According to Chris Hine, who covers the Timberwolves for The Minnesota Star Tribune, Chris Finch’s team is in need of a genuine point guard.

“The way this season played out felt like it underscored the need for the Wolves to find a permanent solution at point guard alongside Edwards for multiple reasons,” Hine explained. “Specifically, the Wolves might have to find someone with a more traditional point guard mentality to get everyone involved, like Conley does…A more traditional point guard would free up Edwards to work off ball and shoot more threes, one of his superpowers.”

Boston doesn’t have a genuine point guard to offer up. In fact, they need to find one of their own this summer.

So, unless the Celtics can find a way of facilitating a deal that sends a guard to Minnesota, with Reid heading to Boston, and the TPE playing a role in making everything work, we’re unlikely to see the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year strutting his stuff for the Celtics next season.

Myles Turner

2026-27 salary: $26.5 million. Contract details: four years, $108.8 million, final year is a player option. Two guaranteed years remaining.

If you’re a Celtics fan, it’s borderline impossible to avoid the speculation regarding a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. I’ve also seen some trade ideas that would involve bringing in Myles Turner via the TPE as a secondary part of a deal that brings Giannis to Boston.

However, Turner to Boston isn’t mutually exclusive to Giannis landing in Boston. You can get Turner without adding Giannis.

For that reason, I have Turner on my list of TPE targets. In fact, if or when Giannis is moved, I think he becomes the next domino to fall for the Milwaukee Bucks. Brad Stevens could swoop in to take him off Milwaukee’s hands, potentially gifting them a sizeable TPE of their own to use closer to the trade deadline, or even next summer.

Turner would bring size, shot blocking, rim deterrence and perimeter spacing to the Celtics starting five. He fits with how Mazzulla likes his team to play. The downside is that Turner isn’t a highly effective interior scorer, which, for his size, can be frustrating.

Nevertheless, if the goal is to generate more rim attempts, having a floor-spacing five should open up the floor enough for Boston’s slashers, drivers and cutters. You don’t need a hulking big man taking up some interior space. Furthermore, you can also space vertically with Turner on the roll when he does venture into the restricted area.

Turner could be a strong addition to Boston’s rotation next season. He would slide Neemias Queta down to a bench role and ensure the entire big man rotation is stronger heading into the new campaign.

I wouldn’t be against a move for Turner, depending on what the Bucks were asking for in return. You’ve got to think they’d be willing to move him with little resistance, especially if Giannis is already out of the picture. The hope is that they don’t demand someone like Hugo Gonzalez or Baylor Scheierman as a makeweight in the deal.

Daniel Gafford

2026-27 salary: $17.2 million. Contract details: three years, $54.3 million; there is no player option. All three years are fully guaranteed.

Daniel Gafford has been floated in trade rumors for about a year now, if not longer. He’s entering into the first year of a three-year contract extension, so he’s cost-controlled. At 27-years-old, Gafford fits the younger timeline the Celtics are building to.

Unlike Reid and Turner, Gafford doesn’t offer any perimeter scoring. He’s a rim-runner in every sense of the word. If Stevens wants more rim pressure, dunks and interior play, Gafford could be the guy to help bring that vision to life.

Gafford would be a dream pairing with Jayson Tatum, who likes to throw the rock anywhere in the vicinity of the rim, so a lob threat big man can finish off the play. The two of them together, working on slip screen actions, would be some pretty basketball to watch.

Another plus of adding Gafford is his interior defense. He’s highly impactful in terms of rim protection, rim deterrence, navigating screens and operating as a helper. Mazzulla could use him as a drop defender, weakside helper, or container when guarding PnR’s.

If the Celtics could find a way to add Gafford, they’d be adding a solid interior scorer and defender. However, they’d need to work with him on his screening, which is a key part of Mazzulla’s system, and arguably one of the weakest parts of his game. Still, we saw Neemy improve as a screener last season, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Gafford would too.

I’m not sure what the Mavericks would be looking for in a Gafford trade, or whether the Celtics would have the pieces to make a deal enticing. Yet, armed with their TPE I wouldn’t be upset if it emerged Stevens had at least picked up the phone.

Nic Claxton

2026-27 salary: $23.3 million. Contract details: four years, $97 million; there is no player option. Two years remaining.

If Gafford isn’t your cup of tea, but you are interested in a rim-runner, then maybe Nic Claxton is someone you would prefer. He’s another above-the-rim player who can offer interior scoring and rim protection. Notably, Claxton is also coming off his best season for creation, averaging 3.7 dimes per night.

Depending on how the Nets decide to continue with their current rebuilding efforts, Claxton may be seen as a potential trade chip to bring back additional assets and younger players. He’s already 27, which arguably puts him outside of Brooklyn’s current timeline.

The bigger question is, who, or what, would the Celtics need to give up in order to entice the Nets to the negotiating table? At first glance, it doesn’t seem like the Celtics have much that Brooklyn would want outside of picks and maybe Gonzalez.

I wouldn’t trade Hugo.

Claxton would be a solid addition. He’d instantly be the starting big on the roster and would fill a similar role to what Robert Williams did when healthy. Therefore, it’s fair to assume that Tatum would love to play with him, and Jaylen Brown would find ways of maximizing the vertical spacing Claxton would bring.

It would be interesting to see how Mazzulla used him on defense, though. Because while Claxton is a solid shot blocker, opposing teams rarely look concerned with attacking the paint when he’s anchoring the restricted area. That lack of rim deterrence would certainly lead to some interesting questions Mazzulla would need to answer.

Wendell Carter Jr.

2026-27 salary: $18.1 million. Contract details: three years, $58.6 million; there is a team option for the final year.

Wendell Carter brings something different to the other names on this list. He’s a high-quality interior defender. In fact, I’d argue that his best asset.

Carter will get you points. He averaged 11.9 per game in his career. He’ll get you rebounds, too. Yet, it’s the work he does in locking down the interior that would have the biggest impact for the Celtics.

I’m still a stout believer that Boston’s identity remains that of a hard-nosed defensive team, three-point volume be damned. Adding a lockdown interior presence wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. However, against some of the top-tier talents in the league, WCJ would be just as susceptible, and that’s where his limited offensive game would become an issue.

I’m not one for setting the bar at the level of being able to shut down Wembanyama or SGA. It’s ridiculous to judge players on their ability to contain or dominate the top 1% of the league. However, if you’re getting scored on consistently, there has to be something else you’re bringing on the offensive side of the floor.

WCJ is a consistent threat around the rim. If the Celtics found ways to unlock him on the low block, then his two-way impact is clearly viable. Don’t let his long mid-range work fool you, though; those shooting numbers are on small sample sizes - less than one shot per game.

Overall, if the Celtics value interior defense and a reliable inside scoring presence WCJ could make some sense. If they’re looking for above-the-rim play or floor spacing, they’ll need to look elsewhere.

Oh, and like pretty much every name on this list, I’m not sure Orlando would be willing to do business, or what the Celtics would have to part with to get a deal over the line. Still, WCJ is an intriguing option that might need some deeper thought.

Side Note

Onyeka Okongwu remains my dream target. He’s also a potential TPE trade target. However, I’ve left him off this list because i view him as unattainable — even more so than Naz Reid, who I think is a super long shot.

Ranking this list

1 - Naz Reid (although, i must stress, incredibly unlikely)

2- Daniel Gafford

3 - Myles Turner

4 - WCJ

5 - Nic Claxton

Similar to the Wings, there isn’t a lot of younger talent hitting the free agency market, so we will be widening our search.

Let’s dive in.

Robert Williams

The Timelord.

I would not be mad at a reunion with Rob Williams. We already know what he can bring to the table in terms of rim-protection, rim deterrence, lob threat and as a passing hub on the perimeter or the block.

The problem, as it always has been, is that Rob comes with risk.

Since Brad Stevens traded Rob to the Portland Trail Blazers, he’s suited up for a total of 85 games. That means he’s missed 161 games over three seasons. For those of you who prefer percentages, he’s played in 34.6% of Portland’s games since being on the roster.

You can’t build a contending team when a key member of the rotation will miss almost two-thirds of the season.

We’ve lived through this.

We know how it goes.

Rob is the NBA version of hotel WiFi — incredible when it works, unavailable when you need it most.

I get that Rob is coming off a 59-game season with Portland. And I get that he’d likely be coming off the bench. However, that doesn’t change much. He played 61 games in 2021-22, only to spend most of 2022-23 on the injury report.

Getting Rob to a point where he’s healthy and playing his best basketball has long been a pipedream. I, for one, do not want to relive that now that we’re talking about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s prime.

It would be great from a nostalgia point of view. I’m also sure Tatum would love it. If the Celtics are going to chase a rim-runner, I’d much rather them look elsewhere, even if that means doing so in the trade market.

Mitchell Robinson

Mitchell Robinson is another big man who stands out as a potential defensive upgrade at the five. However, he’s had similar availability problems over the past three seasons, playing in 108 games. That means he’s missed 138 of the Knicks' games over the past three seasons, which is a 43.9% availability.

Like Rob, Robinson has been far more available this season, playing in 60 games and finishing in the top-8 of Sixth Man of the Year voting. If we were looking at this season in a vacuum, I’d argue that he’d be a solid pickup. There would also be the added bonus of slightly weakening the New York Knicks.

We’re not looking at this season in a vacuum, though.

The fact remains that Robinson has spent more than half of the last three seasons on the injury report. His impact, while clear, comes in flashes, because his availability does too.

I’d also argue that while Robinson is the better player, there’s significant crossover between his and Neemias Queta’s skillset. Both are big bodies who can run the floor, control the glass and defend the rim. The only difference is that Queta is cheaper and doesn’t come with a sizeable injury history.

Robinson will likely enter the offseason looking for a deal at, or near, the mid-level exception. If the Knicks get to the NBA Finals or win the whole thing, he might have a shot at getting something in that region. Hopefully, that paycheque doesn’t come from Boston.

Zach Collins

Zach Collins is interesting. He didn’t play much this season due to a toe injury. He’s also had some issues with health throughout his career, but in the three years leading to this season, he broke 60 games each time.

At 28 years old, Collins would fit with Boston’s current timeline. He’s capable of operating as a starter or bench big. He also brings a balanced approach on the offensive end.

Collins is a reliable option. He can plug gaps and play within a defined role. Yet, the gap between Collins and Luka Garza may not be large enough to justify adding him to the roster this summer. We know what we’re getting with Garza: elite screening, reliable floor spacing and solid work on the offensive glass.

If Collins isn’t a clear-cut better option, I don’t see the value in bringing him in. If Brad Stevens is going to lean on a “big man by committee” approach, then a switchable big man would hold more value to round out the rotation.

Nevertheless, I could be sold on Collins as a buy-low option if other avenues don’t pan out. Again, though, at that point, I’d much rather see the Celtics turn to the trade market and look for a clear-cut upgrade — where that would come from is a conversation for a different day.

Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond had a solid series against the Celtics during the postseason. He played his role like the veteran he is, providing physicality, toughness and his usual brand of rebounding.

Drummond is an old-school big man. He’s at his best running drop defense, crashing the glass and getting buckets via putbacks. I do like that he’s trying to expand his game into the corners, but he’s not at a level where he could thrive in Boston’s five-out offense.

On defense, Drummond doesn’t give the Celtics anything different. He’s older, slower-footed and can be a target for opposing offenses. On offense, though, Drummond can open things up with his screening, give you extra possessions with his rebounding, and isn’t awful at running some dribble hand-off actions.

Again, though, is Drummond better than Garza? Doesn’t Garza do most of what Drummond does, but with more youthful energy?

A few years ago, when rebounding was somewhat of an issue for the Celtics, I would have jumped at adding Drummond. Now? I wouldn’t be mad, but i’d certainly be disappointed.

In truth, this is a weak free agency class for bigs, and if Brad is intent on shopping in this aisle, then tradeoffs will have to be made. At least Drummond would bring some additional physicality and size to the front court.

Nick Richards

Arguably the best option on the free agency market.

Nick Richards played in 48 games this season, split between the Phoenix Suns and the Chicago Bulls. When on the floor, he looked like a reliable backup big. However, he’s not someone I would class as a true upgrade over Queta. In fact, I’d argue that Queta is as good, if not better.

At that point, we’re back to the question of whether adding Richards would move the needle. Sure, he gives you some additional size, rebounding and interior scoring, but isn’t the goal to get closer to a championship?

Last summer, I was incredibly low on Queta’s ability to rise to the occasion as Boston’s starting big man. I was wrong. Not only did he meet the challenge, but he also raised the bar of expectations. Now, any new big man will have to clear that bar — assuming the Celtics move to fill the starting role and slide Queta onto the bench.

Either way, Richards doesn’t meet that requirement, not for me at least. He’s a “nice to have,” not a “we can’t miss this opportunity.”

Then we have the question of: “Do we worry that the Los Angeles Lakers nixed a trade for him due to a failed medical?” Unfortunately, that’s a question mark that will likely follow him around for the rest of his career, fairly or unfairly.

Richards is coming to the end of his three-year $15 million deal, earning $5 million per season. I can’t see him earning much more than that on his next contract either. So, if the Celtics are looking for depth, rather than an upgrade, he could be a cost-effective option.

However, judging by what we saw in the playoffs, searching out an upgrade should be the priority; it’s just unlikely to happen in the free agency market. Which is why I think they should sign a free-agent guard and then use their TPE to address the center position.

With that in mind, we’ll be looking at potential TPE targets by position over the next week.

Earlier today, I chopped it up with former Boston Celtics player (and player development coach) Evan Turner.

We spoke about Jaylen Brown’s “favorite season” comments, his upcoming extension eligibility and whether the Celtics need to make a trade for Giannis. I’ll be honest, I also wanted Evan’s take on whether Jalen Brunson is a better Knick than Carmelo Anthony — mainly because I loved watching Melo, and i’ve seen the debate happening within Knicks circles. In fact, I’m sure I saw write about it recently…

Evan and I wrapped up with some Danhausen talk, just to keep things light!

So, we’re widening the search.

Before we get started, I will caveat this by noting that the wing position is the deepest area of Boston’s current roster. I don’t see the need to add another body at the three or four. However, we’re working through free agents at each position, so here we are...

Let’s jump in.

John Collins

The Celtics first began showing interest in John Collins back in 2021. Nothing came of the interest, and he ultimately spent a further two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before heading to the Utah Jazz and the LA Clippers.

Collins gives the Celtics two key things: athleticism and multi-level scoring. He can finish at the rim, shot 41% from deep this past season, and has a reliable mid-range game when needed.

Despite a down year on the glass in Los Angeles, Collins is a proven commodity on the glass and isn’t a target on defense.

You know what else Collins does? Dunk. He dunks. A lot. Sounds like something Brad Stevens might like!

Collins is entering free agency after earning $25 million last season. I can’t see him commanding that type of payday again, especially after he was a net-negative for the Clippers this season — they were a -4.6 per 100 with him on the floor.

It’s fair to say that at this point, Collins would be an instant upgrade over Boston’s current backup wings. However, Hugo Gonzalez has a higher upside, and for me, that means he should be getting a considerable amount of playing time next season — as should Baylor Scheierman.

Collins would provide a scoring boost, but in turn, he would eat up the full MLE while the Celtics are still short in the guard and big man departments. I wouldn’t be opposed to bringing him in; however, I’d argue that it would be a misuse of resources. Brad Stevens doesn’t strike me as the wasteful type.

LeBron James

Lol.

I can not see LeBron James wanting to come to Boston. I also can’t see Celtics fans welcoming him in Boston either.

Yet, for some reason, there’s been chatter that the Celtics, along with every other contender, are a potential landing spot for the soon-to-be 42-year-old. Hard pass.

“I can’t think of a player I want less than LeBron James on the Celtics. The show’s goat could be here in Boston. It would make me sick. I wouldn’t be able to root for the Celtics for a full year. I wouldn’t be able to do it.” — This was a discussion from the Jones & Keefe show on WWEI earlier this week.

I couldn’t agree more.

I see no value in adding LeBron James to this roster. I want the Celtics to get younger, more explosive, and to have a diverse approach on both sides of the floor. Adding 42-year-olds, even if their name is LeBron, doesn’t fix those issues. All it would be doing is kicking the can down the road.

I’ll be honest. I added this one in for comedic value. That’s how funny I find the notion of LeBron joining Boston. It would be like when Rita compelled Tommy to become the Green Ranger…

Rui Hachimura

Another Laker…

Hachimura could fit the Celtics system under Joe Mazzulla. He’s coming off a season where he shot 44% from deep, 53% from the mid-range and a middle-of-the-road 66% at the rim.

He’s a modern-day wing who can guard multiple positions, knock down shots and not take touches away from guys around him (he was 8th on the Lakers for touches per game during the regular season, averaging 30.3).

Hachimura earned $17 million this season. Therefore, it stands to reason that he could be looking for a payrise after impressing under JJ Redick.

However, I do find myself asking whether he would be open to taking the MLE to sign with the Celtics. He would provide size, scoring and versatility off the bench behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Again, I’m not sold on the notion of adding a wing in free agency, but if that is the pathway Stevens chooses to take, Hachiumura could be a solid target. According to Basketball Index, Hachimura has proven highly effective when working as a switch defender, which is an area the Celtics could certainly improve.

I alluded to this at the top of this section, but allow me to share his efficency metrics, too.

In all honesty, Hachimura will likely re-sign with the Lakers. That’s the smart play from their side, and he doesn’t have to uproot his life. If he does end up on the free agent market, and the Celtics decide they want an upgrade off the bench, he’s someone I would certainly take a closer look at.

Guerschon Yabusele

If I’m the Celtics, and I want to add a wing, I’m probably shopping in the bargain bin. Fortunately, there’s precisely where I’d expect to find Yabusele this summer. After a stellar return season with the Philadelphia 76ers, Yabusele struggled this season.

Joining the New York Knicks didn’t work out the way we expected. He did fare better with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 10.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26 games.

Perhaps a return to where his NBA journey began could be what he needs to get back on track. Yabu isn’t going to massively move the needle, but he’s got plenty of experience and is clearly talented.

It’s worth noting, though, that multiple international teams appear to be showing interest in Yabu, and he may choose to leave the NBA in order to find a larger role elsewhere.

According to Sportando, Dubai BC is interested in adding Yabu to its roster. Hapoel Tel Aviv would undoubtedly be willing to re-ignite their pursuit of him, too, assuming he made his desire to leave the NBA clear.

I do wonder whether Yabu is the type of player who needs a sizeable role to be effective. The Sixers had a string of injury issues during his time with them, leading to more playing time than expected. Then, with the Knicks, he was cast as a role player and struggled. Once in Chicago, the minutes started flowing, and so did the production.

The Celtics don’t need a backup who thrives under those circumstances. If Boston does move for a wing (that isn’t costing the MLE), they’ve got to be comfortable in the unknown.

It’s called the stay ready group for a reason.

Marvin Bagley

The final name on this list (which has been nowhere near as enticing as the guard list on Monday).

Bagley has become a prototypical journeyman in the NBA. This past season, he split his time between the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks. In his 8 seasons in the league, he’s suited up for 5 teams, 6 if you count his two separate spells with the Wizards individually.

The upside of acquiring a journeyman is that they’re accustomed to acclimating to new processes, systems and teammates. The downside is that they’re journeymen for a reason.

Nevertheless, Bagley is coming off a solid season where he averaged 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds across 60 regular-season games. He’s not much of a perimeter shooter, though, averaging 0.9 attempts from deep this past season. Because of that, I’m not sure how enticing he would be for the Celtics.

The only upside to adding Bagley would be that he’d give the Celtics another body who pressures the rim and operates in or around the restricted area. Of course, the downside to that is his limited perimeter shooting would hurt the overall spacing.

I’d much rather add slashers who can shoot, rather than an interior-only scorer who bounces from team to team.

I added Bagley here because he’d be cheap, fill a gap and provide NBA experience if the Celtics found themselves in a pinch. In no way do I think he’d be a wise pickup.

It’s slim pickings

…In terms of free agent wings this summer.

Thankfully, the Celtics shouldn’t be in the market for anyone at either wing position.

Next up on our list is the big men.

I was joined by Yossi Gozlan of for today’s Celtics Chronicle podcast. Yossi is an NBA cap expert and does a great job of breaking down the CBA, roster moves, and team construction over on his Substack!

In today’s episode, we dove into Boston’s current cap situation, why this summer is key to improving the roster, and how both the TPE and MLE can play a role in Brad Stevens’ moves. Yossi broke down the restrictions that come with both of those exceptions, along with the reasoning why this summer is so important for the Celtics.

We also touched on the numerous players who are waiting on Boston’s decision whether to pick up their team option or not, and different ways the Celtics could piece together trade packages in search of upgrades.

If you prefer to watch your podcasts, the episode is also live on YouTube.

If you’re a fan of salary cap analysis and roster construction, Yossi’s Substack would be a great addition to your weekly reading!

Here’s how the Celtics stand in terms of TPE’s and the MLE.

Non-Taxpayer MLE = $15.049 million, per Spotrac

Georges Niang TPE = $8.2 million

Anfernee Simons TPE = $27.6 million

Chris Boucher TPE = $2.2 million

Josh Minott TPE = $2.3 million

Xavier Tillman TPE = $2.5 million

This week, we’re going to focus on the free agency market, exploring potential targets who could improve Boston’s roster.

Today, we’re starting with the guard position, specifically players whom Stevens could use the MLE to acquire.

Coby White

A quick search across social media, and it becomes clear that a lot of Celtics fans are interested in the idea of adding Coby White this summer. Boston would likely need to use their MLE to get an agreement over the line, which would hard cap the team at the first apron.

White’s age is appealing. He’s only 26 years old, so not only would he provide additional scoring and ball-handling, but he’d also fit into the idea of helping the Celtics get a little younger.

I could see a world where Boston goes with Coby White at the primary guard spot and moves Derrick White into an off-ball role, which is where he has thrived in the past. In terms of skill set, Coby White could fit into Joe Mazzulla’s system while also appeasing Brad Stevens’ desire for some additional rim pressure.

Over the past three seasons, White has used 30% of his offensive looks within four feet of the rim, ranking him around the 25th percentile of all guards in the NBA. That’s enough frequency to add a new dimension to the Celtics approach. Still, he’s also averaging around 45% of his offensive frequency coming from deep, which would keep Mazzulla happy.

In terms of accuracy, White is shooting near 65% at the cup, which isn’t great, but is enough to give him some gravity on drives. His three-point rate has been in the 37% region. I can only imagine that with Boston’s spacing and the presence of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, White’s scoring averages could improve due to the quality of shots he would be getting.

At 6’5, White has solid size for his position. He’s a slightly below-average defender, but the Celtics have had success improving guys on that side of the ball, and with some slight tweaks, he could become a league-average contributor on that side of the rock.

During the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, it became clear the Celtics needed another ball-handler who could create their own shot, knock down looks off the catch and test a defense. White fills all of those needs.

Ayo Dosunmu

Another ‘get slightly younger’ option. I had hoped the Celtics would move for Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline, and now, I’m right back here just a few months later thinking about the exact same thing.

One important note here is that during his post-trade-deadline run with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dosunmu shone in a lower-usage role. I point this out because that’s a similar role to what he would have in Boston. It’s nice to see he’s already shown an ability to produce in that type of situation.

I love how much Dosunmu likes to pressure the rim, too. He’s sitting in the mid-to-high 40s for rim-frequency in recent years, making him an ideal addition to Stevens’ desire for some extra interior pressure. However, it’s worth noting that Dosunmu has ranked in the bottom 20-ish percent of guards for three-point frequency throughout his career.

Just because Dosunmu isn’t firing up threes at volume doesn’t mean he isn’t a capable shooter. He just wrapped up a season shooting 43.9% from deep on 4.1 attempts per game. I’d imagine he’s going for quality of shot over quantity. And in terms of success at the rim, he’s similar to White, sitting in the mid-60% range.

The question is: Would Dosunmu be open to taking his foot off the break and shooting more threes? Or would Mazzulla be open to leaning into his downhill spray style offense, drawing defenders ahead of the kick-out and choosing his spots on when to shoot/look to score?

Like Coby White, Dosunmu is 6’5. He’s a slightly better defender, often sitting around a league-average Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus. For an additional guard, he can give you a bit of everything, while also giving you a little something different (downhill play).

Wouldn’t be a bad pick-up. However, Boston would likely need to go into their MLE to bring him back to the Eastern Conference.

Quentin Grimes

Quentin Grimes is coming off a solid season with the Philadelphia 76ers. At 26 years old, he’s still got some room to improve his game before entering his prime. Unlike White and Dosunmu, Grimes is a two-guard, which could make him a less attractive prospect to Stevens — and for anyone thinking he’s more of a wing, 66% of his career minutes have come at the two.

However, in terms of roster fit, Grimes could slot into the starting lineup or the bench unit. He’s capable of operating as a ball-handler, catch threat, or a hybrid of both.

This past season was the first time Grimes committed to getting downhill, with 35% of his offense coming around the rim. He has, though, been a reliable perimeter presence (in terms of volume) over his career. What I like is that after landing in Detroit, his long mid-range began to trend upward, showing he’d become more comfortable attacking close-outs.

In terms of accuracy, Grimes can be a little patchy. He’s coming off his worst season on the perimeter, hitting just 34% of his non-garbage-time threes. He did, however, shooting 69% at the rim.

Grimes isn’t a swashbuckling flame-thrower like White or Dosunmu. He’s going to attack lanes, punish gaps, and force rotations. There’s value in that for sure, the only question I have is how much that gels with what Mazzulla asks of his guards — especially as his career 2.3 dimes (3.3 this past season) don’t scream creator, either.

Like the other names on this list so far, Grimes is slightly below league average on the defensive end. There’s scope for him to become an average defender within Boston’s system.

The upside with Grimes is that it’s unlikely he will eat up the full MLE. He’s certainly not my first choice, but if he’s available and the Celtics strike out on some other options (listed above and below), he would be a decent addition.

Anfernee Simons

The name on everyone’s lips.

Let’s be real, we all knew Anfernee Simons could be flipped at the trade deadline. Coming into the season, it felt inevitable. Yet, some excellent production off Boston’s bench meant that when that trade became a reality, most of us were already dreaming up ways to bring him back in the offseason.

Simons is a proven commodity within Mazzulla’s system. We know what we would be getting.

The issue is — as with most of the guards on this list — it’s hard to see how things play out if Pritchard remains in a sixth man role.

“The reason that Payton Pritchard and Simons were able to coexist this past season was that Pritchard was starting, and then Simons was coming off the bench,” I said in yesterday’s podcast. “Obviously, there was an argument to start Simons and have Pritchard off the bench, but the point was they weren’t sharing the bench at the same time. Now, if the Celtics do go out and pick up an Anfernee Simons or a Coby White, and they’re not intending on having Prichard or whoever they pick up moving into that starting five, it makes it a lot more difficult to see how Prichard is going to sign an extension when he’s basically sharing the floor with a ready-made replacement.”

I’ll be honest, though, this is a good problem to have. If Mazzulla is comfortable running a backcourt of Derrick White and Simons, with Pritchard coming off the bench, the Celtics will have plenty of firepower at the guard positions.

Is it worth the trade-off defensively? Time would tell, but we can’t act like Simons didn’t show improvements on that end during his stint with the Celtics.

If Boston does look to use the MLE to plug the gap at the guard position, Simons will likely be the first name they check in with. After all, the fans love him, his offensive output fits the system, and you can see a world where he thrives next to Derrick White.

Whether he’s a starting point-guard on a championship team is a totally different question, which is why I keep coming back to how his addition, now that Jayson Tatum is back healthy, would impact Pritchard…

Collin Sexton

The final name on this list.

Collin Sexton, 27, has a ton of experience as a starting-level guard in the NBA, having started 357 of his 475 regular-season games. He’s had seasons where he’s shown the capability of a secondary creator, with a career year in dimes in 2023-24, averaging 4.9.

If Boston is looking for a downhill guard, Sexton could be their best bet. He’s ranked in the top-20% of guards for rim frequency since his sophomore season, with one blip during his final year in Utah. One thing that Sexton also brings that makes him unique to this list is his short mid-range game (floaters, push shots, etc), which has been a healthy part of his shot diet throughout his career.

The only knock, and this is more system-based than skill set, is that Sexton hasn’t had a single season where he’s been a high-volume shooter from deep. He’s like Dosunmu in that sense, preferring to pick his shots rather than taking a spray-and-pray approach.

That approach to his threes has allowed Sexton to be a near-40% shooter over most of his career so far. He’s not jacking them up, but he’s hitting the ones he does take at an optimal clip.

Interestingly, despite his heavy downhill approach, Sexton’s finishing around the rim has been patchy. Yet, with the spacing on offer with the Celtics, it’s fair to assume he could easily find a level of consistency that forces defenses into tough choices. I actually think he could emerge as a key scorer in Boston’s system just because of the way he’d bend defenses when they’re trying to limit attempts further up the floor.

If you look at Sexton’s accuracy across every position throughout his career, he’s shooting:

• 62.3% at the rim

• 43% across the mid-range

• 38.1% on total three-point attempts

Those numbers have come on a rebuilding Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz roster. I’d hazard a guess that they’d all improve with the level of talent the Celtics could put around him.

At 6’3, Sexton hasn’t been a lockdown defender during his career. In fact, according to Dunks And Threes, he’s only been league average in two seasons so far. The encouraging part is that one of those two came this season. Pair Sexton with Derrick White, and maybe he gets a third and fourth season in the coming years.

I like Sexton as a potential fit for Boston. He could be a solid use of the MLE, while giving Stevens the additional interior scoring he wants, while still making sense for the Celtics ’ three-point heavy system.

Ranking this list

If I were to put these five guards in order, my wishlist would look like this:

1 - Ayo Dosunmu

2 - Collin Sexton

3 - Anfernee Simons

4 - Coby White

5 - Quentin Grimes

How would you rank this list? Did I miss anyone?

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Next, we look at potential wing targets in free agency.

Payton Pritchard is eligible for a contract extension worth UP TO $100 million over 4 years. He’s already 29. His current contract has two years left to run.

So, any extension Pritchard signs won’t kick in until he’s 31/32. How much should Boston pay him? Should they pay him?

What Brad Stevens decides to do in free agency could give us an indication of what to expect from any negotiations with Pritchard.

Tim Sheils and I dive into Pritchard’s impact, value and importance to the Celtics, while discussing what would be a fair value payday on his extension. We also take a look at Boston’s current string of players with a team option on their contract, and why those decisions will be key for creating the necessary space to be busy during the summer.

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With all the talk of Boston being a potential trade partner for Giannis Antetokounmpo, we thought it was about time to share some trade ideas that could work, and potentially plug some holes within the Celtics roster.

Jaylen Brown was obviously part of most of these trades, although there are some where we try to keep Brown and Jayson Tatum together. We look at a string of players, including Onyeka Okongwu and Domantas Sabonis, as potential expansions to bringing in Giannis, along with which other members of Boston’s roster might need to leave the franchise this summer.

Most of this was just for fun, leaning into the inevitable trade talk that followed Boston’s first-round exit.

The full video is available on Substack, Bzzr (sign up, it’s going to be a GREAT app) and of course, YouTube.

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I’m excited for what’s to come, and will embrace all the speculation that will inevitably come our way. I mean, with no games to look forward to, most of the analysis from me will be surrounding that speculation — might be a lot of different angles to the same concept, too.

At times, I’ll also lean on some mailbags, as I always enjoy interacting with everyone and seeing where people’s heads are at — which is exactly what we’re going to do today.

Let’s dive into the questions!

Daniel Pak asks: What have you noticed about Brad Stevens trends with late 1st round draft picks?

Brad has only made two first-round draft picks since moving into the front office: Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez.

Juhann Begarin, JD Davison, Jordan Walsh, Amari Williams, Max Shulga, and Anton Watson were all second-round pickups.

Therefore, I can’t say there’s been a trend.

In fact, Brad’s approach has been quite diverse.

Four of those players enjoyed multi-year collegiate careers.

Two of those players were international prospects, with Begarin being a draft-and-stash.

And the other two were seen as high upside swings in the second round.

Instead, I think he seeks out personalities that mesh with the roster. I’d envision him seeking out relentless workers with a high basketball IQ and good physical attributes for their positions.

Scheierman and Hugo both fit that mold. They’ve shown improvements since arriving in Boston, have stayed locked in throughout the season and contributed meaningfully within their role. Walsh fits that same mold, having fought his way into earning minutes.

Williams could be the next player on that list to step up, too.

So, I think Stevens looks for experience (long-term college or international) and work ethic. That seems to be the thread between the majority of his picks.

John Lyell asks: Will JB, White, Hauser, Pritchard be moved in the offseason?

Short answer: I have no idea.

Long answer…

I can’t see how Brad can make the improvements the Celtics need while keeping all of the four players you just named in Boston. My gut tells me someone is going to get traded, and who that is depends on the type of deal Boston gets involved in.

I wrote about Brown’s contract extension over the weekend, and I still feel like that could be a tipping point in terms of scuttlebutt regarding his future. I still believe that if the Celtics opt against offering the extension this summer, that would create the conditions necessary to potentially see Brown being legitimately involved in trade discussions.

I’m not saying he would be traded, but it would likely be the closest he’s come since Danny Ainge flirted with Kevin Durant back in 2022.

White is arguably the most interesting name on this list. I think there are very fair reasons why he endured such a difficult season — multiple role changes, lack of rhythm in his role, etc — I also think he is one of the most important members of the rotation. Still, that doesn’t stop me from thinking Boston could look to move on from him while his value is still relatively high.

By the time the new season starts, White will be 32 years old. He has three more years left on his current contract, with his money jumping up in $2 million increments each season. Brad may see this as the perfect opportunity to get a reasonable return for him now, rather than risking holding onto him for a year too long.

Hauser is another who had a down year. The problem for him is that Scheierman’s emergence has made him somewhat disposable. Trading Hauser on his own won’t get you much in return, but his contract could play a key role in wider trade discussions, either as a straight-up deal for Boston or with the team helping facilitate a move elsewhere.

Pritchard, however, is someone I would class as borderline untouchable. He’s on one of the best value contracts in the NBA, is among the best bench players in the league, and most importantly, the Celtics would be worse off for trading him.

If I were to grade in terms of likelihood, it would look like this:

Hauser = Most likely

White = Somewhat likely.

Brown = Maybe, sorta, kinda likely, depending on how his extension plays out and if the Celtics go big game hunting.

Pritchard = Extremely unlikely

John Lyell asks: JB's top destinations?

Atlanta Hawks

Whenever you talk about a potential Brown trade, the Atlanta Hawks have to be part of the conversation. They’re his hometown team, and they currently lack a star-level leader following their decision to trade away Trae Young.

Do I think the Hawks make a move for Brown? No. I think they’re all in on their current developmental timeline. However, if Brown is available, and he makes it clear he wants to head to his hometown, I think they could be swayed.

Milwaukee Bucks

For obvious reasons.

I think there are a few different packages Boston can try and build for Giannis, but any realistic ones would have to include Brown, and for that reason, we’ve got to view Milwaukee as a potential top destination for him.

Miami Heat

Pat Riley loves All-Stars. Boston would love Bam Adebayo.

Wishful thinking here, but I think Brown would be an ideal fit for an Erik Spoelstra-coached team. He already has the grit, the talent, and the winning mentality needed to succeed in Miami. I can’t see the Heat parting with Bam, though, and for me, any deal involving Brown and Miami would start and stop with the talented big man.

Sacramento Kings

Would Scott Perry look to swap Domantas Sabonis for Brown? Would Boston work with a deal built around those two being swapped out? It wouldn’t be difficult to make the money work.

Boston would probably demand Keegan Murray as part of the deal.

Either way, the Kings could be a sneaky player in any Brown sweepstakes, especially as they will likely look to reshape the current roster this summer.

Chris Figee asks: You think Brad will try to change the Mazulla ball / 3 point first system or trade only for players that fit in that model?

“I just want to win, and I don’t think play style comes before roster,” Stevens said. “You’ve got to figure out who you have and then play to the strengths of your team, but that’s on both ends of the court. And listen, I thought our coaching staff did an amazing job this year in the series. I think we all could have done better — there’s no question about it. I think we’re all looking forward to improving off of that. But I think it starts with we have to put the best roster we possibly can together, and then we need to maximize the strengths of that group.”

Those were Stevens’ words during his news conference last Wednesday.

Judging by those comments, I think Brad is very much in the camp of roster first, system second. I think his comments about needing more rim pressure are also telling.

I’d be surprised if there was a disconnect between Joe Mazzulla and Brad. However, I think it’s clear that Brad wants some variation to Boston’s approach, and because of that, could look to add some new scoring profiles to the roster.

Does that mean the Celtics will move away from being a three-point-heavy, math-led team? I doubt it. But I do think there will be an effort to find additional balance in terms of shot diet, even if just as a counter to when teams push up high on defense, or shooting variance has begun playing a part during games.

I find this topic to be really interesting, and think Brad’s moves this summer would be worth examining through this lens.

Also, I did a podcast on this topic over the weekend, where we discussed Brad’s comments, what it could mean for Joe’s system and why alignment is one of the most important things for the Celtics front office and coaching staff heading into the summer.

Chris Figee asks: Which of the younger ones do you see as “keep em” and who are possible trade chips ?

It’s hard to see any of the younger guys as trade chips, primarily due to their limited contracts. Most of Boston’s developmental talent is earning around $2 - $3 million.

If they were to get traded, it would likely be as a sweetener to a larger deal, which, of course, happens all the time around the league.

Still, I would personally like to see Boston keep hold of Scheierman, Garza and Hugo. I don’t imagine Neemias Queta is going anywhere either.

That would leave Amari Williams, Max Shulga, Jordan Walsh and Ron Harper Jr as potential tradable assets. However, it’s important to note that all of those guys have team options for next season. There’s no guarantee those options will be picked up, so they may not be available to be floated in a trade.

Assuming Brad plans to reposition the Celtics as a bona fide contender next season, it’s hard to envision the roster being made up of so many young guys. However, if the goal is to remain out of the tax to reset the repeater, his hands may be tied.

Nevertheless, I would assume at least two of the developmental crew are allowed to walk this summer, and my guess would be Shulga and Walsh.

….And there we have it. The first mailbag of what's going to be a very long and potentially very chaotic offseason is in the books. I have a feeling these questions are only going to get more interesting as the summer heats up. I can’t wait for the next one!

That’s all it’s been since the Boston Celtics were eliminated from the postseason. It feels like weeks ago. That’s how much “drama” has been floating around about the team.

Well, not so much the team, more like Jaylen Brown.

In the space of seven days, we’ve had not one but two livestreams, a presser from Brad Stevens, and hours upon hours of speculation.

We, as Celtics fans, have been through a lot.

It all started with one of Brown’s first livestreams of the offseason.

“This group is a special group. I’m so proud of this group and the way we played,” Brown said. “I’m so proud, and it was my favorite year of my basketball career.”

Plenty has been said about that comment. Even more has been written. I chose to take a few days off to begin the postseason for planning purposes. So, i’ve watched a lot of this stuff from the sidelines.

I’ve seen the takes against what Brown said…You know, it’s funny how this is his favorite season when it coincides with Jayson Tatum being out with an Achilles injury. It's weird that his favorite season ended in surrendering a 3-1 lead to be eliminated in the first round — especially when he has a championship season under his belt.

I’ve seen the takes understanding what Brown said…He assumed a leadership role. He helped push a group of young guys to develop. There were no expectations or external pressures. He got to lead a team.

Then, Brown went back on a live, added context and doubled down.

“Y’all can clip this up: This was my favorite season of my career,” Brown said. “I will say it even louder. I’ll stand on it. I’ll triple down, quadruple down. Whatever y’all want me to say, chat. I’m coming on here to give context and talk about certain things. But I’m not really here to clear up no backlash.”

He didn’t stop there.

“You got to see all of these guys, all of my teammates, grow,” Brown added. “I got to see them overcome adversity as a group, up close and personal. Obviously, we’re not satisfied with the result. But to fight and maneuver through adversity and grow, and galvanize with a bunch of guys and to have that mindset and approach, this was my favorite season.”

Ok, this is fair. Talk yo talk JB.

But don’t be shocked when talking your talk leads to split opinions. Or, when those in the media who have used your partnership with Tatum as a tool to try to create friction re-emerge out of the woodwork.

The truth is, we don’t know the truth about Brown and Tatum’s relationship. Even those with locker room and practice access can’t claim to know that. They’re seeing both of them in a work setting. Of course, they’re going to be professional — it’s a trait we love about both of them.

However, we’ve heard from numerous people who have been part of the Celtics roster that Brown and Tatum genuinely get on. Just two months ago, Evan Turner was on the Celtics Chronicle podcast saying that exact thing.

“I think it’s funny ’cause I’ve seen it up close,” Turner said. “After the first few minutes when I was around ’em, I’m like, oh, these dudes don’t hate on it. Like, they like each other. They have ultimate respect for each other.”

Turner continued.

“  There was no negative, no side eye, no anything. They know who they are, they know where they’re going…  Those dudes are elite, and I think as young individuals, young men, you just gotta let ’em sit back and cook and let them rock this generation.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m deferring to guys with experience of being with both Tatum and Brown behind the scenes, on long flights, with the team after big wins and tough losses. If they say these two get on, that’s all I need to hear.

The problem is, Brown’s comments were only part of the problem. We also had the Tracy McGrady of it all.

“His frustration lies deeply in the organization and other things that we really don’t have the details. It’s just a lot of stuff I’ve been hearing just going on with the Boston organization with JB,” McGrady said on his “Cousins” podcast. “I think part of him is like, ‘I showed you guys more of who I am as a basketball player not only what I did on the basketball court but the leadership I displayed within this team and you’ve seen that.’ Not having our best player in (Jayson Tatum). You’ve seen a different side of me and what I’m able to bring to the game of basketball. So, all that stuff just came into play with him and his frustration.”

Brown and Brad Stevens both addressed this. Both played it down. Stevens basically said, “Well, that’s news to me.” While Brown was like, “And if it was up to me, I could play in Boston for the next 10 years.”

A notable observation, which quite a few of us caught, was the choice to repeat “if it was up to me.” He must have said it three or four times.

The truth is, Brown has some say if he remains in Boston for the rest of his career, but he’s not the only one who can make a decision like that. Brad can also throw a similar curveball.

And that’s what leads us to the elephant in the room…Brown’s impending extension eligibility.

Brown will be eligible for a two-year $141.9 million contract extension this summer. That’s roughly $71 million per year. Based on this past season’s performance, that’s money well spent, right?

Not so fast.

Brown’s current contract runs until 2029. He’ll be 32 by the time that season ends. Any extension he signs won’t kick in until the 2029-30 season, when he’ll be turning 33.

Do you want to pay Jaylen Brown north of $70 million a year for his age 33 and 34 seasons?

That’s the decision Stevens has to make.

Not if Brown would be worth $70 million next year, but when he’s at the tail-end of his prime, three years away from now. This is the same Jaylen Brown who has been dealing with knee tendinopathy for years, by the way.

How Stevens answers that question will likely set up how things play out during the summer. Because, let’s face it, Brown’s trade value will likely never be higher than it is right now. Furthermore, he’s probably not going to take too kindly to not being given an extension after the season he just produced.

“If it was up to me.”

Sorry, JB, but this one isn’t up to you. However, how you choose to move forward, should the Celtics opt against extending you this season, is certainly in your control.

That’s why I’m sitting on the fence right now. The key variable in any and all Jaylen Brown trade and/or frustration discussions is what the Celtics decide to do regarding an extension.

If Boston extends him, Brown isn’t going anywhere — even next season. I mean, how many teams are going to want to trade for a 30-year-old with a contract that’s going to be paying him $70 million for the final two years of his deal? And even if they do want to trade for him, how are they making the money work?

An extension near guarantees Brown will be in the final stages of his career before he’s truly a trade or free agent target for any other team around the NBA.

Does he want that, though? Does Brown want five more years of being the 1B next to Tatum? Would he not prefer being the top option on a different roster, experiencing many of the things he found so much joy in this season?

I can’t answer that. Neither can you. And neither can the media.

That’s for Jaylen Brown to decide.

Of course, if the Celtics opt against extending his contract, the rumor mill is going to hit hyperdrive, and honestly, I think there will be at least a few embers to the smoke that will flood our timelines.

Suddenly, Brown will seem a lot more attainable.

Does that mean we’d see a deal to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo? Maybe. Maybe not.

Does that mean Boston could find itself receiving countless trade offers from around the league? I’d hazard a guess at the answer being ‘yes.’

Brown’s future in Boston has been a topic of discussion for years. Unfortunately, his recent comments, coupled with what T-Mac said (and how close he is with Brown), opened the floodgates for widespread speculation.

That speculation isn’t going away any time soon.

In fact, the only thing that will build a dam for that floodwater will be the extension itself.

After a career year for Brown, Boston finds itself with a tough decision to make. What it chooses to do will likely set up what we come to expect from the offseason.

One way or another, we should get some clarity in the coming months. Until then, buckle up, because I don’t think the past week’s turbulence is the only patch we’re going to hit — hopefully I’m wrong.

Nevertheless, it’s time to look forward.

If you’ve tuned into any of the end-of-season Celtics Chronicle podcasts in the past few days, odds are you’ve heard me talking about the need for a positionally versatile big man.

When watching the series against Philly, the lack of a big man who could enable Joe Mazzulla to lean into a switch-everything system on defense was a clear hole in the roster. We’ve seen how beneficial that level of defensive switchability can be — it was an option during the 2024 championship run, and for the years Al Horford was on the roster.

I’m not championing to replace Neemias Queta as the starting five. If that happens, it happens. He’s proven he has a role to play with the Celtics. What I am championing is plugging a gap in the roster that could have made a legitimate difference in the series the team just lost. More importantly, a role that would have been key moving through the deeper rounds, too.

If that role were to be key this season, it would undoubtedly be just as important next season.

With that in mind, I wanted to kick off the offseason content by looking at a couple of bigs who fit the positionally versatile billing I’m speaking about. Some are better fits than others, and the list is far from exhaustive. Oh, and some are attainable; others are highly unlikely to be pried away from their current situation.

Let’s dive in.

Onyeka Okongwu

In terms of a positionally versatile big, Onyeka Okongwu is the dream addition. He’s enjoyed a strong season for the Atlanta Hawks, cementing himself as a key member of their rotation and their defensive identity.

Okongwu has taken a leap as a perimeter shooter, too, upping his attempts from 2 per game last season (which was a career high) to 5.2 this season. Importantly, he shot a career high from three during the current campaign, hitting 37.6%.

If Boston wanted a long-term replacement for Horford, Okongwu would be the closest they were going to get. How fitting, then, that he would also be making the jump from Atlanta if the Celtics were to find a way of prying him loose.

Okongwu isn’t someone you can ask to switch onto guards with complete confidence. However, he’s been a solid isolation defender on the perimeter when finding himself in those spots. Boston would easily be able to lean into a higher-pressure defensive system, switching, hedging or playing at the level of the screen without needing to rely on dropping as the ball-handler probes.

In terms of contract, Okongwu is on a somewhat team friendly $16.1 million deal next season, and will have two years remaining on his $61.9 million contract. Unfortunately, Okongwu looks set to be a key part of the rebuilding Hawks, so, unless something changes this summer, I don’t expect to see him swapping teams.

Oso Ighodaro

Oso Ighodaro just completed his second season in the NBA. He doesn’t shoot threes and is still adapting to the league. However, he’s proven himself to be a legitimate defender who can operate in multiple systems and hold his own when isolated out on the perimeter.

I wouldn’t trust him to be switched onto smaller ball-handlers for stretches, but in momentary spurts while containing movement, he would probably handle himself quite well. He’s a disruptive presence when anchoring a unit and has the motor to get up the floor when passing lanes have been picked, or the team is on a break.

Given where the Phoenix Suns are in their current timeline, it’s hard to see them parting with a cost-controlled big man that has shown genuine upside in his role. However, we’re talking about the Suns, so we can’t rule anything out, especially when we’re discussing moves that would fall within the questionable category.

I could see Joe Mazzulla finding ways to make Ighodaro a key member of Boston’s rotation, on both sides of the ball. He wouldn’t be a bad pickup, but again, it feels more like wishful thinking at this point.

Al Horford

Good ol’ reliable.

Instead of trying to replace Al Horford, why not try to bring him back? Granted, it would be a short-term fix. A season, maybe two, tops. But it’s clear that his skillset was missing in the postseason, and even at his age, Horford’s ability to control angles, spread the floor and guard multiple positions (somewhat) makes him a valuable addition.

Horford has a player option for the upcoming season. I’d love for Tatum to pick up the phone and convince his favorite teammate to make another return to the Celtics. I doubt it happens. The fanbase seems pretty annoyed Horford walked for a second time, and we still don’t know what led to his decision to leave in the first place.

Still, bringing Horford back would give the Cs some breathing room as they searched for his longer-term replacement.

Grant Williams

While we’re on the topic of bringing back old names, Grant Williams is another guy who could give you some positional versatility on the defensive end. Ok, I get it, some people find him a little grating, and his impact outside of his switchability can sometimes be questionable, but let’s be real, there was a time (when he was calling himself Batman) that we viewed him as a potential Horford replacement.

Williams will be entering the final year of his current contract next season. He’s coming off a major injury. I can’t imagine it would be too hard to prise him away from the Hornets, although he might want to stick around due to them being his hometown team and all that.

I always valued Grant higher than most. However, I don’t think Mazzulla valued him too much during their lone year together. Nevertheless, he’s another option that fits the type of mold that I’d be looking at this summer, even if it does mean re-treading a former player.

Day’Ron Sharpe

Day’Ron Sharpe was linked with the Celtics last summer and again at the trade deadline. Out of all the names on this list, he feels like the most attainable and one of the better fits. One thing that really stands out is that the advanced analytics love him, and that seems to be something the Celtics seek out in their bigs — we’ve all heard about the shooting data Boston used to get a jump on bringing in Luka Garza…

Sharpe fits the mold of what the Celtics are missing perfectly. He’s young, switchable, a solid rebounder and can defend in space or when isolated. His lack of size and athleticism is somewhat of a concern, but you have size in both Neemy and Garza, and Neemy brings the bounce. That’s the point of a big-man-by-committee approach: you get something different from each guy.

Sharpe is entering the final year of his current deal — assuming the Brooklyn Nets pick up his team options, which they should. At $6.25 million for the year, Boston could easily match his salary in a trade, although they will have to accept paying him more to stick around longer-term.

In terms of fit, attainability, and long-term upside, Sharpe is arguably the most viable candidate to fill the spot Nikola Vucevic will be leaving behind — regardless of whether Amari Williams gets additional opportunities or not. He should certainly be viewed as a trade candidate this summer. Whether things will shake out that way is a totally different thing.

Moussa Diabate

Oh, this would be dope!

Moussa Diabate had somewhat of a breakout season with the Charlotte Hornets this season, earning 47 stats and 26 minutes per game under Charles Lee. He’s another prototypical mobile big man who can give you bits of a lot of things on both ends of the floor.

At $2.4 million for next season — which will be the last of his current contract — he’s a legitimate value swing. Do the Hornets sit down to talk trade when the return is unlikely to be productive and/or impactful? I’d be shocked if they didn’t slam the phone down.

Still, his name belongs on this list because he’s proven he can make an impact in the league and under Lee, would be used to some aspects of the system the Celtics run.

Again, a move for Diabate isn’t something I would consider likely.

Morez Johnson Jr.

So far, we’ve looked at players Boston could trade for - albeit unlikely scenarios. But what if the Celtics looked toward the draft to plug the gap? Morez Johnson Jr. could be that guy.

The issue is, I’ve seen him mocked anywhere from the late lottery to the bottom of the first round. There doesn’t appear to be a consensus regarding where he could go in the draft. If he falls into the 20s, could Brad Stevens move up a couple of spots to draft someone who could genuinely plug a hole in the roster while offering long-term upside on a cost-controlled deal?

“Johnson is one of the best defenders in the country with his ability to battle in the post, switch on the perimeter, and gobble up rebounds,” Tyler Metcalf of wrote in a recent mock draft. “He has the strength to deal with bigs and the agility to handle guards. On top of that, Johnson has one of the highest motors you could ask for.”

It’s worth noting that Morez Johnson Jr. went 8th in that mock.

Obviously, if Johnson Jr. is going to go that high, the Celtics will be out of the running. But if he does fall — which bigs tend to do, especially when their offense is questionable — the Celtics would be wise to explore avenues to bring him to Boston and develop him within the team’s culture and system.

I’d be a huge advocate for that, should it happen.

Right now, these guys would be my choices to fill a mobile big man role. Some are more attainable than others, but they all solve a similar problem. Who would you target to round out the big-man rotation?

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The season is done. The Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead, lost three straight, with two being at home, and got knocked out in the first round by the Sixers.

Adam and Billy break down what went wrong, what needs to change, and whether Brad Stevens can actually find the pieces to make this team a genuine contender heading into next season.

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The Boston Celtics have lost the last two games against the Philadelphia 76ers, being held to under 100 points both times.

The Celtics head into a Game 7 against the 76ers tonight at TD Garden needing to figure something out fast.

Adam and Mike break down the rotation problems that have defined this series, the small-ball lineup that could change everything, and whether Joe Mazzulla will actually pull the trigger on something different before it's too late.

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